Times of India: Chandigadh: Sunday, May 20, 2018.
Contrary to claim of rendering time-bound services, the online application system suffers from high pendency in Punjab and hundreds of cases are yet to be resolved. The 351 services offered online mostly come with a deadline of 1-60 days.
Information procured under Right to Information Act (RTI) for applications filed between 2015 and 2018, shows that around 3.45 lakh applicants are still awaiting approval.
The RTI information shows that 3,732 applications (out a total of 23,382) for old, widow, dependent and disability pensions are still lying pending since 2015, which were to be delivered in maximum of 32 days. Besides, 14,150 applications (of total 1,09,902 applications) for registration, addition and correction in birth and death certificates, which were to be issued within 9-32 days are still pending.
As many as 1,418 applications (out of 3,609) for issuance of new arms licences, which have to be ideally cleared within 32 days, are still pending since last year.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and Sunam MLA Aman Arora, who procured the details, said the online application system through citizen portal and Sewa Kendra was introduced in order to provide services in a time-bound manner under the Right to Service Act.
The delay in processing these applications gives ample scope to the government employees and their henchmen to compel people to shell out money to get a nod,” alleged Arora.
out of the 351 services covered by Right to Service Act, RTI information was provided for only 43 online services. A total of 43.62 lakh people who applied between 2015 and March 2018, paid Rs 58.70 crore to the government and Rs 83 crore to the service provider as facilitation charges.
“I had to get family’s land records for an ongoing court case and as per the Right to Services Act, details pertaining to revenue have to be furnished in a day. However, I’m still awaiting a reply for the past 10 days. I was given a token at Sewa Kendra,” said Amarjit Singh, a resident of Sangrur.
A senior official confided that the problem was with lack of backend connectivity with other government departments. “Even as the sewa kendras are charging applicants, the request is not promptly passed on and processed. This resulted in footfall decreasing drastically and people losing faith,” he said.
In January, Punjab cabinet has given its nod to the plan to shut down 1,647 “financially unviable” sewa kendras. This follows recommendations by a committee headed by the chief secretary that Punjab required only 500 such centres, which could be managed by the DCs.
The Sunam MLA had earlier sought permission for launching mobile sewa kendras in his constituency at his own cost.