Centre Approves ₹47 Crore for Establishing Municipal Service Centres in Himachal Pradesh

These centres will serve as one-stop hubs providing citizens with easy, transparent, and uniform access to various municipal services.

Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh said today that the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has approved a grant of ₹47.37 crore for the establishment of Municipal Shared Service Centres across Himachal Pradesh. He said the funding reflects the result of the state government’s proactive initiatives and consistent efforts.

Singh explained that these centres will help address major challenges faced by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) — including shortages of manpower, limited financial resources, and lack of technical support.
“The state government is committed to strengthening urban governance, promoting digital service delivery, and ensuring efficient municipal administration for the people,” he said.

Under the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendations, 15 shared municipal service centres will be set up to serve 74 ULBs across the state.

“These centres will function as one-stop facilities, similar to Passport Seva Kendras,” Singh said. “They will provide citizens with seamless, transparent, and uniform access to municipal services such as the issuance of birth and death certificates, trade licenses, pet registrations, property tax payments, garbage bill collection, and grievance redressal.”

He added that the centres will also act as centralized units for accounting, payroll management, and vendor payments for municipal bodies. “In smaller towns, these centres will enable door-to-door delivery of services such as tax and bill collection, ensuring greater convenience and efficiency for citizens,” he said.

The minister noted that the central government will release the funds in two installments — 50 percent at the time of approval and the remaining amount later. “The first installment of ₹23.68 crore has already been released,” Singh confirmed, “which will help enhance the institutional and operational capacity of these centres.”