In a major decision aimed at facilitating the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and ensuring that citizens can obtain the required documents without any financial burden, the Punjab Cabinet, under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, approved the waiver of government fees and facilitation charges for several key citizen services from July 1 to September 30, 2026.
A decision to this effect was taken during the meeting of the Council of Ministers held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Govt Fees Waived for Key Citizen Services During SIR
Sharing the details, the Chief Minister’s Office said the Cabinet has approved the waiver of government fees and facilitation charges for several key citizen services for a period of three months to facilitate the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The waiver will cover several essential citizen services, including issuance of caste certificates, residence certificates, birth certificates, duplicate Class X and Class XII certificates, and other notified services. The benefit will be available for services delivered through Seva Kendras, Doorstep Delivery and the Online Citizen Services Portal from July 1 to September 30, 2026.
The concerned Administrative Departments have been authorised to issue all necessary notifications, instructions and operational guidelines for implementation of the decision. The Department of Good Governance and Information Technology, along with other concerned departments, has also been authorised to undertake all consequential actions required for effective implementation of the proposal.
The Punjab Government will bear the cost arising from the waiver of government fees and facilitation charges during the three-month period.
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Special Intensive Revision being undertaken by the Election Commission has resulted in a large number of citizens requiring documents such as residence certificates, caste certificates, birth certificates and educational certificates for submission before the concerned authorities. “The Bhagwant Mann Government has decided to waive the government fees and facilitation charges for these services from July 1 to September 30, 2026. The decision has been taken to ensure that no citizen faces any financial burden while obtaining the documents required during the SIR process,” he said.
