Srinagar, Aug 7, KDC: In a major step towards enhancing citizen-centric services and promoting digital governance, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Friday launched an online portal for booking all 35 community halls under its jurisdiction, enabling residents to reserve a hall in just two minutes from anywhere without visiting the SMC office.
The web-based portal was formally launched by SMC Commissioner Faz Lul Haseeb, who said the initiative would eliminate the need for citizens to visit the SMC office for booking community halls, as all bookings will now be processed exclusively through the online platform.
Haseeb told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that the new system has been introduced to make the booking process faster, more transparent and hassle-free for the public.
“People no longer need to visit the SMC office to book community halls. They can now complete the entire process online within two minutes. Offline bookings have been discontinued,” he said.
He said that under the earlier offline system, obtaining a booking often took more than a week due to manual processing and paperwork. “That delay is now a thing of the past. The new digital platform offers instant service and greater convenience to citizens,” he added.
The newly launched portal enables users to check hall availability, book community halls online, make digital payments and receive instant booking confirmations, significantly reducing processing time while ensuring transparency and efficiency.
Officials said the initiative is part of SMC’s broader efforts to modernise civic services through digital technology and improve the overall experience for citizens.
The online booking system is expected to benefit thousands of residents by providing a simple, secure and user-friendly platform for reserving community halls for social, cultural and family functions without the need for physical visits or lengthy paperwork. (KDC)
