Right of Citizens Bill may be passed soon

The Bill assures time-bound delivery of services such as passports, tax refunds, pensions, and birth and death certificates to citizens, says Narayanasamy

The Right of Citizens for Time-Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill will be passed in the upcoming Parliament session, Union Minister V Narayanasamy said today. “The bill will be passed in next Parliament session,” the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office told reporters.

The bill assures time-bound delivery of services such as passports, tax refunds, pensions, and birth and death certificates to citizens, the minister said. The proposed legisla- tion lays down a penalty between Rs 250 to Rs 50,000 against an official who fails to provide the service, Narayanasamy said.  Such a law is in place across 14 states including Karnataka which is implementing ‘Sakala’ scheme, Narayanasamy said. The opposition parties, including BJP have flayed the bill saying that it is an attack on the federal structure by forcing the states to adopt it.

The bill lays down an obligation upon every public authority to publish citizen’s charter, stating therein the time within which specified goods shall be supplied and services be rendered, and provides for a grievance redressal mechanism for non-compliance of its provisions.

The proposed legislation, spearheaded by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, mandates a public authority to establish a call centre, customer care centre, help desk and people’s support system.

It also seeks establishment of public grievance redressal commission at the Centre and every state.

According to its provisions, a person aggrieved by the decision of the commission may prefer an appeal before the Lokpal at the Centre (in case of decision by the Centre’s public grievances redressal commission) and the Lokayuktas in the states.