Recently I had a conversation with a person who had applied for Padakkam Licence to run a shop during Diwali time in Trivandrum. He was telling that his son is going to each office for approval of padakkam license - Collectorate - Village Office - Fire Station - Local Police Station..What a hassle!
Which World Are we Living in? Sarkar and License Raj is Still King!
It's 2024. AI is here, and many are using it. We had overcome Covid pandemic. So many lives broken. We have gotten over it. Mobile devices are ubiquitous with school kids. Thanks to the use of mobile phone for learning during pandemic. And, soon humanoid robots will take care of our chorus. Already, self diving cars are in beta stage. And, companies like NeuroLink is implanting chip inside human brain to append cognitive functions on impaired people.
And, in this era, our government is expecting people to chase around the application, wasting our time, adding frustration, rising BP. Imagine the plight of a small biz fellow who has just wanted to make some money during Diwali time by selling crackers ( padakams).
What's the Alternative!
I'm not asking govt to forsake all the checks, cross-checks, scrutiny! Let all these bureaucratic work go in it's flow.
I wish govt machinery gave an option for people to hire an agency or agency to process such paperwork. Probably, it could be done through people trained by Kudambashree or representative of each Akshya centre.
Those who can't afford to spend extra money can do it by themselves. Also, the verification should be made transparent and digital. Meaning, once the application is uploaded, it will be easy to track the progress as it goes through all the mandatory verification.
1. Application Submitted at Collectorate - Clerk Verified . ✓ -> Senior Supdt Verified ✓
2. Application received at Local Police Station - Site Visit ✓ Check by Cops - SI approves ✓
3. Fire station - Mandatory fire safety check ✓
4. Village Office - Site visit - Safety check as per protocols ✓
What if we had a similar process, which will be easy for the applicant to track the progress and they will know what has to be done in each step. ( And all these verification is done in 5 to 7 days)
I just hope that at least in 2030 Diwali, we'll have a better process so that any small biz who's taking a risk in opening a shop is not made to run around every office for the approval.
Enjoy a Happy and Safe Diwali! 🎆
Curious Konnections
P.S - Govt should also have a facility for express License approval scheme. It must be like Tatkal scheme. Extra money for last minute booking.
For example, govt should mandate that the last date for applying for Diwali padakam license should be 7 days before Diwali. Once this deadline is over, an individual can apply through Tatkal scheme by paying additional or extra late fee. It can be levied an extra 3k or so.
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