Despite repeated reminders from Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and his office, several departments have failed to submit suggestions on redrafting of citizens’ charter to set new deadlines for delivery of services. Due to non-compliance of numerous departments, the Deputy Chief Minister’s office has again sent reminder asking them to provide suggestions on citizens’ charter. The new charter will talk of stiffer accountability of officials who fail to adhere to the new deadlines of processing public requests on a host of services, including marriage certificates, driving licences, environmental clearances for businesses and clearances for doing business in the 29 industrial estates.
Unfortunately, due to trust deficit with bureaucracy and other reasons, departments are not showing any interest in the Government’s proposal. Due to this, the drafting of citizens’ charter remained a non starter. At present, 245 services of different departments, local bodies and autonomous bodies are added to the Electronic Service level Agreement (e-SlA) under Right of Citizen to Time-Bound Delivery of Services Act, 2011.
The AAP Government is finding difficult to redraft the citizens’ charter due to non cooperation of several departments. The Government is under pressure that only after reducing the red-tapism, they can get substantial investment from different quarters besides reducing public grievances. Only the proper implementation of citizens’ charter can check prevailing red-tapism in the Government. According to the AAP, Delhi may become industrial and skill development hub after properly implementation of citizens’ charter. The move will also help to enhance pro-citizen image of the Kejriwal Government.
In a note issued last month by Sisodia, all departments were asked to give details of their pubic dealing functions and give a maximum deadline that the staff may require for delivering each service. The Deputy Chief Minister Office has sought details of all those activities where departments have direct or indirect interface with the citizens.
Sources said the AAP Government wanted to redraft the entire charters with stricter fine and penalty as large number of citizens are not satisfied with the existing system. Some of the provisions of service delivery are now set to be reviewed. The existing charter talks about assured delivery of a caste certificate to an applicant within 60 days.
Officials said the existing citizen’s charter was drafted during the tenure of the Sheila Dikshit Government. Under Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011, every citizen has the right to obtain these notified services in Delhi within a time-bound period (Sec 3 of the Act). Further, under the Act, every Government servant is duty bound to deliver these services within the stipulated time period. If there is any delay in delivering of services beyond prescribed period, citizen is entitled to seek compensation cost at `10 per day per service maximum of `200 from the competent authority.