The Punjab government has started issuing fee receipts for its services on the mobile phones of applicants, saving an estimated Rs 1.3 crore spent on paper every year.
The eco-friendly initiative was launched by the Department of Governance Reforms (DGR) on Friday.
The elimination of the paper receipt system would significantly reduce the carbon footprint at 'Sewa Kendras' and will also contribute to a sustainable future, Punjab Governance Reforms and Public Grievances Minister Aman Arora said.
Applicants will no longer have to worry about misplacing or losing paper receipts as now they can easily access their payment receipts through SMS, he added.
The minister said the digital receipts would carry all the information being found on the normal paper receipts, but if any applicant insists on a paper receipt it would be provided to him/her duly stamped and signed at no extra cost.
He urged the citizens to be a part of this environment-friendly initiative of the AAP government by not asking for paper receipts.
Arora said the office copy of the receipt would be printed on the backside of the first page of the application form only and would be duly signed and stamped by the operator at 'Sewa Kendras'.
"In case of form-less service, the receipt will be printed on the backside of the system-generated form, if required," he said.
He said digital receipts have proven to be a popular alternative as they are much easier to store and access when needed.
The paperless fee receipt system would also save time for both the service provider and the user as it would cut off the printing time at the service counters of the Sewa Kendras, said Arora.