Govt approves Bill to make time-bound service delivery legal right

The Rekha Gupta Government has approved a new legislation that seeks to make the time-bound service delivery of public services a legal entitlement, paving the way for a technology-driven system aimed at improving accountability and easing citizens’ access to Government services. 

According to the chief minister’s office, the Delhi Cabinet has approved the Delhi Right of Citizen to Time-Bound and Ease of Delivery of Service Bill, 2026. “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi Cabinet has approved the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Services) Bill, 2026, replacing the 2011 law with a modern, technology-driven legal framework for citizen-centric governance,” the Delhi CMO said in a post on X.

A key feature of the proposed legislation is a clear penalty mechanism to ensure accountability among government officials. If a service is delayed without valid justification, the concerned official may be fined Rs 250 per day, subject to a maximum penalty of Rs 5,000. Similarly, if an application is rejected without proper justification, a one-time penalty ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 5,000 may be imposed.

Before any penalty is levied, the concerned official will be given a full opportunity to present their case. However, no penalty will be imposed without first giving the official a full opportunity to present their explanation, in keeping with the principles of natural justice.

The chief minister said the Bill is intended to ensure that every citizen receives notified Government services within the prescribed time frame. It also seeks to make Government departments and officials more accountable for delays and negligence in service delivery. She said the law would mark a significant step towards administrative reforms in Delhi and serve as a milestone in providing citizens with more transparent, simple, efficient and technology-driven public services.

The Chief Minister said the Delhi Government is taking this important step to provide citizens with time-bound, simple and transparent public services. The proposed legislation will replace the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time-Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011. The new framework will make extensive use of modern digital technologies to ensure faster, more transparent and more efficient service delivery.

Under the Bill, every citizen will have a statutory right to receive notified Government services within the prescribed time limit. The Government will notify, from time to time, the services that fall under the ambit of the law. Notifications issued by the Delhi Government will specify the services covered, their timelines and the designated officers responsible for delivering them.

The Bill provides for complete digitisation of the service delivery process, from submission of applications to the delivery of services.

Citizens will be able to apply online, every application will receive a unique application number, and its progress can be tracked online in real time. Information on every stage of the application process will be made available digitally, while departments will also monitor service delivery online to ensure adherence to timelines.

According to the CMO, this will significantly reduce the need for repeated visits to government offices, while making governance simpler, more transparent and more efficient and ensuring more effective delivery of public services.