The Police Computing Wing, which has recently launched an initiative – Police IT, is going a step ahead and helping enforcing the Right to Service Act – Sakala. Sakala, which was enforced by the state government recently, ensures timely services by government departments to the public. After registering with Sakala, a citizen gets a 15-digit number and once the police documents are ready, he comes back to take the papers.
Now, Police IT will integrate the Sakala services in such a way that the consumer gets an SMS on his/her mobile phone after filing an application. Once the service sought is completed, the consumer gets another SMS alert, asking him or her to come and collect the documents. “Over the last two months, we have reduced the number of inquiries made by the public with the officer at the Commissioner of Police office and other SP offices through Police IT and Sakala. There are nearly 20 verification certifications required by different sectors and close to one lakh such applications are received by the police every year in the state,” said Mr Praveen Sood, ADGP and Head of Police Computing Wing.
In the previous system, a citizen had to collect a form from the police commissioner’s office, pay the amount at the district treasury office and then return to the police chief’s office to submit the form. “This running around will be a thing of the past. We are integrating Sakala services. The citizens who apply for the verification forms are alerted through SMSs when their services are ready. The application forms can be taken at any of BangaloreOne centres in the city and KarnatakaOne kiosks across the state. We have also restructured the forms and put them all in one. A citizen can apply for any sort of police verification through this single form,” Mr Sood explained. The home department, under which the police force too falls, has received the maximum number of queries and services under Sakala. Over 10,000 applications have been scanned by different divisions of the Home Department since the service was launched in March.