Friday, May 20, 2011

Punjab Pradesh Lok Sewaon Adhikar Abhiniyam, 2011, bill.


The “aam aadmi” will for the first time in the history of the state be guaranteed timely delivery of services with the Punjab Government giving its nod to the Punjab Pradesh Lok Sewaon Adhikar Abhiniyam, 2011, bill.

Services
Time
 Designated Officer
Certified copies of jamabandi and girdwari 1 day Patwari
Release of domestic power connection7 days SDE
Release of commercial connection 15 days SDE
Release of water supply/sewer connection 2-7 days SDE
Certified birth/death certificate 1 day Local Registrar
Registration of vehicle 1 day Registering Authority
Issuing of driving licence 2 days Licensing Authority
Renewal of arms licence 7 days Additional DM
Passport verification 3 days Community police centre in charge
Issue of various other certificates 2 days Tehsildar
Sanction of building plan 3 days SDO
Copies of FIR/DDR 1 day SHO

The bill, which was given the nod in principle during a meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal yesterday, covers 51 services being provided by various departments in the state. It also focuses on making designated officers accountable in the case of delay in the provision of the services.
Sources told TNS that the Deputy CM had assigned state Chief Secretary S C Agrawal with the task of preparing an ordinance in this regard within a fortnight so that the same could be presented to the Cabinet for approval.
The sources said the major departments that would be covered under the new bill would include Revenue, Power, Local Government, Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, Transport, Urban Development and Police. The bill has come about following an exercise conducted by the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission and is part of the administrative reforms initiative of the government.
The bill is a boon for people who have to deal with entrenched corruption in departments like Revenue and Transport. For instance, people will be able to get certified copies of documents like jamabandi, girdwari and mutation within one day. The patwari has been listed as the designated officer for the same. In the case of the Transport Department, vehicle owners have been guaranteed the registration certificate of their vehicle as well as fitness certification for commercial vehicles within one day. The time fixed for issuing new driving licences is two days. Officers have been designated for providing these services.
In the case of the Home Department, the time given for the issuance of fresh arms licences is 15 days while the period for the renewal of such licences is seven days. Passport verification will now have to be done within three days and the issuance of various certificates like caste, OBC, income and residence will be done in two days.
The Food and Civil Supplies Department will have to process ration card applications within three days. Time limits of between two and seven days have been given to the Local Self-government Department for the sanction of building plans and the issuance of the completion certificate. All station house officers (SHOs) will have to provide copies of FIRs/ DDRs within one day.
The bill, while making it mandatory for the designated officer to provide the notified service, also makes him accountable by an appellate authority. The appellate authority may impose a penalty of not more than Rs 5,000 in case the designated officer fails to provide the service within the stipulated time without sufficient cause. If it is revealed that the officer has caused the delay, the authority may impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day for such delay.

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