Over 7.72 crore (7,72,94,789) applicants have availed the notified services up to April 2016, since the inception of the Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011, including 24.80 lakh (24,80,313) applicants during April 2016 alone.
“More than 3.30 crore (3,30,22,579) residents of the State have taken advantage of the notified services during 2015-16. Only 573 applications, that is 0.49 per cent of the total applications, are lying pending,” an official spokesman of the State Government said on Tuesday.
Spokesperson said that the small number of pendency showed that people are aware of the RTS Act, 2011, and officials are also adhering to the timelines notified under the Act.
He said that the Commission was monitoring the progress of the pending cases and has directed the concerned of different departments to clear all the pending applications at the earliest. Spokesperson said that the Commission had taken suo-motu notices in group cases on the basis of Management Information System report received from districts where service delivery was delayed beyond time lines without satisfactory cause.
With the intervention of the Commission, about 25,999 cases have been disposed till March 2016. Apart from this, suo-motu action in 703 cases, on the complaints received by the Commission from various sources, was initiated out of which 674 cases have been resolved. Approximately, 29 applications left which were being pursued with the concerned authorities for early disposal, he added.
He also said that out of 1,237 and 259 appeals filed before the first and second appellate authorities, 1,233 and 254 appeals respectively have been disposed of by the concerned authorities. Similarly, 38 revisions filed before the Commission have been disposed of by the Commission.
Taking strong exception to the officers or officials not adhering to the time lines, not only the Commission initiated action against 85 such officers or officials but also taken similar action by second appellate authorities for wilful defaulters under the Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011.
To facilitate people, a help desk with telephone no. 0172-2790182 has also been set-up in the office of Commission for providing information to general public regarding the services being rendered under the Act, procedure for obtaining these services and other queries relating to the service delivery of notified services, added the spokesman.