In a move that will reduce the burden of paperwork for city residents, the Delhi government on Tuesday decided to abolish 200 types of affidavits, which are required for different documents — ration cards, income certificate, transport permits — from December 1 and replace it with self-attestation.
The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In a statement, the government said they were introducing a system that “trusts the citizens” and makes it easier for the public to apply for services “without harassment” while reducing “unnecessary financial burden” on it.
According to a senior Delhi government official, the decision will reduce close to 75 per cent in “cumbersome” paperwork demanded of the Capital’s residents by the state, the move intends to significantly decrease both the procedural discomfiture felt by citizens and the man hours required to sift through the resulting paperwork by its officials.
Some of the documents done away with include affidavits required for the issue of ration cards, change in residential address in ration cards, issue of learner’s and permanent driver’s licenses, certificates for registration of vehicles, stage carriage permits, pension to women in distress, the Delhi Ladli Scheme, old age pension and disability pension.
The Cabinet also directed the Department of Administrative Reforms to bring in a proposal to provide for stringent punishment in instances of wrong self declarations. It has also been directed to examine which other affidavits could be done away with after the consent of the Delhi Assembly.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that government has decided to go ahead with only 40 types of affidavits and of them, 20 affidavits comes under Centre and the remaining affidavits fall under state government.
Affidavits were abolished across “major public dealing departments” such as the Directorate of Education, Revenue, Transport, Food, Supply & Consumer Affairs, the Office of the Registrar Co-Operative Societies, Social Welfare, Women & Child Development, the Chief Registrar Birth & Death and the Directorate of Local Bodies, which oversees the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi among others.
