SAHIWAL: All is set for launch of an E-Khidmat Centre (EKC) in the city which will be fourth in the province after one each being run in Rawalpindi, Lahore and Sargodha under the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB).

According to sources, Commissioner Babar Hayat has already done soft inauguration of the centre that was now being run on an experimental basis. The centre would be formally inaugurated by the Punjab chief minister soon, the sources added.

Facilitation Service Centre Director General Sajid Latif and Director Waseem Bhatti had recently visited the centre to inspect the test run, they said.

Development Director Habib Jillani told Dawn that the centre had been built with a cost of Rs68 million in less than two years on a 4-kanal piece of land in Farid Town locality.

He said the centre, through its 15 counters, will offer 16 different services to the people, facilitating them in interacting with different federal and provincial departments under one roof.

The services to be offered include issuance of computerised national identity card, passport, armed licence, birth/death/marriage/divorce registration, record, domicile, traffic fine collection, issuance of route permit, motor vehicle registration, token tax collection and issuance of property ownership documents etc.

Commissioner Babar Hayat told Dawn the centre would save people’s time and money they spent on visiting various government offices by providing them various services in a transparent way.

Acting DCO Rizwan Nazir said the centre would ensure effective, efficient and corruption-free delivery of public services.

To a question about ensuring transparency, the commissioner said no corruption or favouritism would be tolerated at the centre at any step of service delivery from issuance of token to later stages.

He said senior citizens would be provided services on priority at the centre that had also separate waiting areas for male and female visitors.

underage marraige: The Kasowal police foiled a bid to marry an underage girl at village 14/8-L in Chichawatni on Sunday.

Reports said that Irshad Rafiq, 30, wanted to contract second marriage with 12-year-old girl, Sabah, of the same village.

On the complaint of the public, police raided the wedding place and arrested groom Rafiq while nikkah khawa Fazal Hussain managed to escape.

It is learnt that girl’s father Rana Muhammad Abbas took handsome money from Rafiq.

Police have started investigating.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2016