To promote digital transactions, Punjab Governor and UT-Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday approved to give 50 per cent rebate on facilitation charges for all services to be availed in online mode via Sampark website or app.

UT official said that it has also been decided not to levy any facilitation charges for 20 services and not to enhance facilitation charges for 28 services out of the total currently being offered by Sampark centers which are mainly availed by under privileged or needy section of the society. These include Scheduled Caste Certificate, Other Backward Class Certificate, Legal Heir Certificate, Character Certificate, Birth and Death Certificate, UDID disability card, tenant and servant verification, among others.

The official said that with the number of Sampark centers increasing from four to 45 in past 20 years, the expenses on manpower, consumables, hardware and software maintenance, etc has also increased multifold. “Thus it has been decided to levy a nominal facilitation charges only on nine services in both offline and online mode (50 percent rebate) for availing these services through Sampark like e-Stamp paper, sale of revenue stamp, sale of court fee, electricity bill payment, water bill payment, etc…As compared to similar centers in Punjab and Haryana, most of the services offered through Sampark are either free or with very less facilitation charges,” added the official.

The official said that the Chandigarh Administration has also decided to provide doorstep delivery of 54 services currently offered via Sampark centers by paying Rs 200 (inclusive of taxes) per service transaction and Rs 100 (inclusive of taxes) for every subsequent service transaction (excluding other charges or fees).