Free Press Journal: Mumbai: Friday, May 09, 2014.
Few know that
citizens can question delay in the government’s decision-making process under
an Act passed nine years ago. In fact, civil servants can use the same Act to
defend themselves from arbitrary transfers.
‘The
Maharashtra Government Servants Regulation of Transfers and Prevention in Delay
of Discharge of Official Duties Act’, which empowers citizens and civil
servants, is now being highlighted by Lok Adhikar, a citizen’s movement. In
fact, citizens’ activists call it the Right to Services Act.
Other states
that have a similar Act include Kerala, Rajasthan, MP, UP, Bhiar, Delhi,
Punjab, HP and Uttarakhand. In Delhi it is called, The Delhi (right of citizen
to timebound delivery of services) Act.
At a seminar
on Wednesday to promote awareness about it, Lok Adhikar said it “could bring
about a dramatic change in the timely delivery of public services”.
Effective
from 2006, the law mandates all agencies of the Maharashtra government to
declare timelines for various public services through citizens’ charters.
It can also
be used to pull up the government for random transfers of public servants. The
latter aspect has been used by civil servants to defend themselves from
arbitrary transfers.
However, Lok
Adhikar rued that the former aspect has rarely been used, mainly due to lack of
awareness.
The Citizens’
Charter sets time limits for providing various services, identifies the
authorities responsible for this. It is to be drawn up in consultation with citizens
and displayed prominently in the department and also put up on the official
website. It has to be updated on May 2 every year.
“In reality,
our government is of, for, and by the few, and our society is one of feast and
famine. The RTI indeed has unlocked heavy double-locked doors, but information
is not always enough. We need services, and this Act can go some way in
achieving that,” said Gerson da Cunha of AGNI.
Journalist
Kumar Ketkar said citizens of Solapur started a movement to reinstate their
Municipal Commissioner who was arbitrarily transferred. “It took them four
months but had they known about this Act, their movement would have stronger,’’
he said.
Government
rules regarding this Act mandate that use of online services should be
maximised. However, Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner,
said, “The main problem with Government offices is that our bureaucrats regard
computers as electronic typewriters. It seems to them that it is below their
dignity to use Information Technology in offices”.
-Shiladitya
Pandit
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