These services include caste, income, unemployment and landless certificates, and old age and widow pensions.
The new initiative by the BJP government, launched on the occasion of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's birthday, is the restructured version of 'Nemmadi Kendras', which had attracted widespread criticism over its operations.
Atalji Janasnehi Kendras would reduce time taken to deliver services and would operate completely from hobli-level (hobli is a clutch of surrounding villages), unlike the previous avatar when applications were forwarded from hobli- level front offices to taluk-level offices for processing, a time-consuming process.
Each service would now be delivered in a stipulated timeline as these centres have been brought under 'Sakala', which mandates delivery of services in a time-bound manner, failing which concerned officials would be penalised, government sources said.
The launch was attended among others by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, Deputy Chief Minister K S Eshwarappa, who holds the Revenue and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj portfolios, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar and Tourism Minister Anand Singh.
