Srinagar, October 7 (Scoop News) – Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday impressed upon the administration to ensure implementation of Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) in letter and spirit making it clear that no laxity would be tolerated on this count. He said he would himself monitor the functioning of departments identified under the Act for providing time line services to the people.
“There is urgent need of making general people aware of their rights of receiving public service within the prescribed time frame”, he said and fixed 15 days time limit for the concerned departments for installing hoardings throughout the State in their offices giving every detail of the service and the time line the department is legally bound to provide to the people. He said these boards should also provide the information about the appellate authorities and the nature and quantum of fine to be imposed on the erring officials.
The Chief Minister was reviewing the progress of implementation of PSGA at a high level meeting here this afternoon.
The Chief Minister directed the Information Department to launch an awareness campaign about the PSG Act through the media educating the people about their rights under the Act for getting a particular public service in a specific time frame. He also asked the concerned departments to print pamphlets in Urdu and Hindi languages detailing all aspects of the services and the time frame fixed for providing these to the people.
“I want every citizen to know about his rights to get the public service and the concerned officials their duties to deliver it within the prescribed time frame under PSG Act, so that implementation of the Act is on fast track and the necessary results for which it has been enacted are visible on ground”, he maintained.
Omar Abdullah directed the Rural Development Department to provide all information to the Panchayats about the services notified under the Act and the time frame fixed for its delivery. “The dissemination of the information should be in Urdu and Hindi languages”, he emphasized and said that departmental-wise adds regarding the services and their delivery time frame should also be given through print and electronic media.
Underlining the importance of PSGA in streamlining the delivery of public services and providing these within the fixed time frame, the Chief Minister said that it would reduce the lower level corruption to a greater extent.
It may be mentioned that 45 services in six departments of PHE, Power, CAPD, Revenue, Housing and Transport have been notified under the Act for providing to the people within the prescribed time frame. The Act also provides for punishment in the form of fine to the erring official for not providing the service within the fixed time limit. The part of which shall be given to the complainer as a compensation for delay in receiving the service.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister for PHE, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for CAPD, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla, Minister of State for Housing, Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Madhav Lal and Administrative Secretaries of the six departments of Power, PHE, CAPD, Revenue, Housing and Transport.
The Administrative Secretaries gave brief account of the progress they have achieved under the PSGA in disposing off the applications for providing various services within the fixed time frame.
Speaking in the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that a Nodal Officer at the State level and District Nodal Officers at district levels have been appointed to monitor the implementation of the Act.
Madhav Lal said that there was urgent need for the administrative departments to work out improvement in the system ensuring prompt and timeline delivery of services under the Act.
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