The project christened FRIENDS (Fast, Reliable, Instant, Efficient, Networks for Disbursement of Services) will work on all days of the week from 9 am to 7 pm, employ 20 computerised terminals so that employees need not skip office to pay their bills or get other services or stand in long queues getting unfriendly responses.

The project is being implemented by the State Department of Information Technology, in association with the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation with a view to reach the advantages of information technology to the common man, according to IT Secretary Aruna Sundarrajan.

The project to be launched by Kerala chief minsiter E K Nayanar on June 24 will have the advantage of a computer controlled queue management system to avoid the need of people standing in the queue. Instead they can take a token and relax on a chair while the progress of maturity of the token will be electronically displayed. When the turn comes, the user can go to the designated free counter and get any of the listed services done. The service is free and no service charges are levied from the citizen. Payment can be made in cash, credit card or a DD drawn from State Bank of Travancore.

A friendly Help Desk will help the customers to fill up various forms and clarify the doubts. This will be the first of its kind in Kerala and the largest of such a facility in the country, according to Aruna Sundarrajan.

The computer server of the FRIENDS centre will be linked to the server of the concerned departments for updating data on a real time, once the computerisation of the departments are completed.

Until then, FRIENDS centre shall work on the principle of "Collect and Remit" and "Receive and Forward" methods to offer the following services:1. KSEB bill payments, KWA bill payments, property tax, professional tax, traders licence fee, building tax, basic tax, revenue recovery, fee for new ration card, One time vehicle tax 11. motor vehicle tax - 105 types, fee for licences from motorvehicles dept - 20 types, 13. Fee for permits from motor vehicles dept - 142 types, registration fee for motor vehicles - 37 types, Kerala University examination fee - 352 types, general fee for Kerala university - 96 types, Fee for trade licences - 11 types.

Various other services which work on "Check and Confirm" mode - such as KSRTC Express Reservation service, booking/reconfirmation of Indian Airlines/Air India, KTDC hotel reservation etc. will be added in future.A collection centre of the State Bank of Travancore will function at the premises of FRIENDS. The project would also ensure that details of transaction are made available to the respective departments without any delay. It will issue individual receipts to every payment received indicating the consumer number/name, the bill particulars issued by the agency, amount collected, office having jurisdiction etc.

FRIENDS will be a one-stop service centre where remittances can be effected quickly and various other services done, according to IT secretary.

Even though the departments do not directly accept credit cards, the FRIENDS centre will accept valid credit cards. However, due to accounting problems, cheques will not be accepted initially. FRIENDS is a pilot project and if found successful, will be replicated in other districts of Kerala at selected locations.