The Police Department and ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) took a major step recently to make the police service more people-friendly with the launching of the SMS tracking service for police clearance certificates.
IGP N.K. Ilangakoon initiated the service at police headquarters.
Under this facility using a mobile phone and typing plc (space crt (space) (reference number given by the police to the application of the applicant requesting the police clearance certificate) and by sending it to number 1919, one could know the status of the application.
The IGP said the reply would fall into three categories. (a) The investigation about the application is in progress, (b) Investigation is completed, (c) The clearance certificate has been issued.
The information about the status of the police clearance certificate application can also be obtained from the websites www.srilanka.lk and www.police.lk.
The IGP said that as a second phase the services would be extended to all police stations in the near future.
This service will eliminate the inconvenience of all citizens who need this certificate.
ICTA Program Director and Legal Advisor Jayantha Fernando said that this was a landmark occasion with vast opportunities for the benefits of ICT to reach the people. This is the third of the major ICTA-initiated projects in which SMS is used for making the benefits of ICT accrue to the people.
This project goes a long way in bringing the ICT benefits to the people as envisaged in the 'Mahinda Chinthana Vision for the Future', the Government policy statement", Fernando said.
Senior DIG D.K. Gamini Navaratne who had contributed much input to this project explained what a great need the project was fulfilling.
The Senior DIG said that about 100 inquiries were being made daily about the status of the police clearance application.
These inquiries showed that people were highly vexed about ascertaining the status of their application for the police clearance certificate.
These inquiries constitute the tip of the iceberg of the deep anxiety that people go through from the submission of the application till its issued.
This facility launched on the commemoration of the 145th anniversary of the Sri Lanka police will be an apt symbol of the service that the police is doing for the people, senior DIG Gamini Navaratne said.
He said that Sri Lankans in foreign countries could send their requests via 1919 from the Sri Lankan diplomatic offices in the relevant foreign countries.
Referring to the project ICTA CEO Reshan Dewapura said that Sri Lanka enjoyed 86 percent mobile penetration.
The project capitalising on a tool that is popular among the people would accelerate the task of empowering them through ICT.
ICTA CEO said that the ICT Agency of Sri Lanka aimed at adding convenience to the people through the use of ICT.
He said that initial discussions about providing the Police Clearance Certificate Status Tracking service directly through 1919, the Government Information Centre is being done at present.
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