Maharashtra government drafts law to provide time-bound services to people

Under the new law, the officials may face a penalty of up to Rs 5,000 if they fail to provide services to citizens within a designated time

For time-bound delivery of services to citizens, the Maharashtra Government has drafted a legislation, under which its officials could face a penalty of up to Rs 5,000 if they fail to provide services to citizens within a designated time.

The draft of the 'Right to Services Act' prepared by the state government's General Administration department (GAD), says that officials of zilla parishads, panchayat samitis and gram panchayats, municipal councils, municipal corporations, nagar panchayats, planning authorities, industrial townships will come under the purview of this Act.

"Once the Act comes into existence, it would cost government employees dearly if licences, ration cards, birth- death certificates, caste validation certificates, etc are not given to citizens within a stipulated time," a GAD official said. It said the specified time will start from the date when the required application for a service is submitted to the designated officer or to a person subordinate to him authorised to receive the application.

The application will have to be duly acknowledged to the applicant in writing or through electronic means or SMS, specifying date, time, place, unique complaint number, particulars of receiver of complaint along with stipulated disposal time frame.

"Every designated officer or his subordinate public servant who fails to deliver the citizen related services to a citizen within the stipulated time shall be liable to pay compensatory cost," the draft states.