In Punjab over 6.91 crore applicants have availed services under Right To Service act since its inception.
A spokesman of Punjab Government on Wednesday said that 27,39,007 applicants have availed the notified services during January, 2016 under Right to Service Act. He said that till now more than 6.62 crore applicants have been provided notified services since the inception of Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011.
He said that only 14,944 applications are pending beyond time line. The concerned departments have been asked to clear all the pending applications immediately.
He said that on the basis of reports received from various districts, the Commission took suo-moto notice in groups of cases where service was delayed beyond time lines without sufficient cause. With the intervention of the Commission 20824 cases have been disposed of which includes 1375 during December, 2015. Apart from this, suo-moto action was initiated by the Commission in 634 individual cases received from the public, he added.
Out of 1222 and 251 appeals filed before the 1st and 2nd Appellate Authorities 1183 and 219 have been disposed of by the concerned authorities. Similarly 38 Revisions out of 39 have been disposed of by the Commission, added the spokesman.
He said that in all 83 officers/officials have been penalised by Commission as well as 2nd Appellate Authorities for not providing services within timeline notified by the State Govt. under Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011.
He further said that Help Desk with telephone No. 0172-2790182 has been set-up in the office of Commission for providing information to General Public regarding the services being rendered by the Commission, procedure for obtaining these services and other queries relating to the complaints/requests made to the Commission.
The Commission had so far referred 574 complaints including complaints received during January,2016 to various authorities for sympathetic consideration which were not covered under the services notified by the Punjab Govt. under Punjab Right to Service Act, 2011.