Chennai: Arasu cable looks for e-seva franchise

Chennai: After burning its fingers and unable to operate the E-seva centres that issues government certificates (ranging from birth, legal heir annual income and caste), Tamil Nadu Arasu Cable Corporation (TACTV) has invited expression of interest from private internet browsing centres in Chennai to franchisee its seva centres on a revenue sharing basis.

The state plans to give 1,000 franchisees in urban municipal areas of Greater Chennai covering Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram. 

The project based on the success is to be extended across the state targeting rural areas, a senior government official said.

According to TACTV sources, there 659 Arasu e-Sevai centres functioning in the state and are rendering services like issuing of certificates of revenue department, social welfare department, utility bill payments, printing of Aadhaar plastic card, printing of EPIC card, passport service and smart family cards to the public. So far 1,26,03,839 persons have benefited through TACTV Arasu e-sevai centres., but there is a constant demand from public seeking more services oriented centres.

The new applicants should have an air-conditioned building space of 100 square foot to set up the Arasu e-sevai Centre. The other basic conditions required are high speed internet computers, uninterrupted power supply, ethernet (local network connection), web cameras, external hard disks, printers, scanners Aadhar compliant biometric device, lamination equipment and photo copy machines, sources said.

The franchisee can help the public to avail 81 kinds of services including the submission forms for availing electricity connections. To obtain printouts of birth and death certificates '20 will be collected and for most of the other services like registrations of revenue records '60 will be charged. 

For services like registration of boilers and licenses for drug related business '150 will be collected, sources added.