Kshatriya to be 1st chief commissioner of Right To Services

Swadheen Kshatriya, who retired today as the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, will take over as the state's first chief commissioner of Right to Services (RTS) tomorrow.
Talking to reporters after handing over the charge to his successor Sumit Mullick, Kshatriya said 376 government services come under the RTS Act.
"My job will be to oversee implementation of the Act while working with district collectors and divisional commissioners, and set up the system to ensure that citizens benefit from the Act," he said.
Kshatriya will be sworn in as the first RTS chief commissioner by the Lokayukta L N Tahiliani at the Raj Bhavan tomorrow morning.

So far, Revenue, Home, Rural Development and Forest departments have got good response under the Act, he said.
"My focus will be to work on why other departments have not got good response and whether there is lack of awareness," Kshatriya said.

About his tenure of two years and seven months as the Chief Secretary, he said he was satisfied. During this period, Maharashtra witnessed the Assembly elections which led to a change in the government after 15 years, he noted.
The state also had a very severe drought, so much so that water had to be transported by train, Kshatriya said.

This year the state had a good rainfall, with good production of cotton, tur-daal and soybean, but new problems like of shortage of godowns had come up, he said.