Haryana gears up to bring in Right to Services Act…..Chitleen K Sethi
Following in the footsteps of other states, Haryana is now preparing to bring in the Right to Services Act.
The act, aimed at providing various services to the people in a time-bound manner, will be drafted for legislation soon, said Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has already given his in principle nod to the legislation, she added.
While in Bihar, Punjab, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh, the Act has already been implemented, it is being drafted in Karnataka and Rajasthan. In Bihar, over 50 services spread over 10 departments have been brought under the Act while in Punjab, the resident has a right to demand time-bound redressal in 67 services.
The Haryana government, through an administrative order passed in June, had notified 36 services that were to be delivered in a time-bound manner to the public. These included most of the major services related to food and supplies department, registration of vehicles and licensing authority, urban development, municipalities, etc. What other states undertook as a legislation, we offered to the public through an administrative order. The intention was to see how the system works in six months before it is brought up as an Act, said Gulati.
Various deputy commissioners were asked to monitor the implementation of the time-bound delivery of these services. I have been holding regular discussions with the deputy commissioners and their feedback is that the system is working well. But then I am wary about this feedback. How is it possible that a system which has been introduced as a new system not have its share of hiccups? said Gulati.
As a result, Gulati has suggested to the deputy commissioners that they should visit the various public dealing offices in their district as a common man and get first hand information regarding the delivery of these services. When they approach their offices like a common man, will they get to know what the common man has to go through, she added.
Haryana had recently designated officers to monitor the scheme, under which the 36 identified services are being provided to the people in a time-bound manner. These officers are also the authorities to which aggrieved people can complain in case there is a delay in the delivery of the service.