New    FREES Launched in FRIENDS Trivandrum

Adopting an easy-to-recall acronym, FRIENDS (Fast Reliable Instant Efficient Network for Disbursement of Services) has been  designed as a single-window facility where citizens can make Government related transactions at ease and comfort, without having to inch forward in serpentine queues.

Now operational in all 14 districts of Kerala, FRIENDS accepts payments of the Kerala University, Local Body,  Kerala State Electricity Board, Kerala Water Authority, Revenue, Civil Supplies, Motor Vehicles, Electrical Inspectorate and BSNL.

Each counter follows a ‘token management’ system which eliminates the need for queues and inordinate delays in making remittances. At each centre, there is a special Help-Desk to guide the public who are not well conversant with the payment procedures. Facilities also exist to record suggestions/complaints, which are reviewed on a regular basis. An average of 800-1000 people visit each center every day.

Railway reservations can also be made in the three centres at Wayanad, Pathanamthitta and Malappuram. The computerized counters manned by customer friendly officials operate between 9 am  to 7 pm on all days, including Sundays.

Pilot at Thiruvananthapuram in June 2000, this centre has now earned the benchmark ISO 9001: 2000 certification. KSITM joins hands with the IT Department of the Government for the project implementation. A year ater, all 14 districts had one centre each.

Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) is the Total Solution Provider of the project.

Scope of Implementation

Payments to the following departments are accepted at FRIENDS -

- Kerala State Electricity Board

- Kerala Water Authority

- Local bodies

- Revenue Department

- Civil Supplies Department

- Motor Vehicles Department

- Kerala, MG and Calicut University

- BSNL - Land line and Mobile bills.

- Electrical Inspectorate -  Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam

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