'Automatic' compensation for delay in govt services on anvil

The AAP government is amending a law, under which officials are liable to pay penalty for delay in providing services included in the citizens charter, ensuring "automatic and mandatory" compensation for people, doing away with the need to separately apply for it.
Amendments to the 'Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act 2011' will be brought in the form of a Bill and tabled in the upcoming session of the Assembly, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today.
"We are planning to implement it from January 1 next year after it is passed by the Assembly," Kejriwal said.

There are a total of 371 services, that covers almost all departments, under the ambit of the legislation that was enacted during the tenure of Sheila Dikshit.
Kejriwal claimed that due to its "wrong design", till date no claim for compensation under the law has been filed in the last three years. People can file application online to get the services which are being provided under ESLA (electronic Service Level Agreement).
"Under the amended law, if you are promised delivery of a certificate within 15 days and don't get it, then from the 16th day the clock of compensation will start ticking automatically.

"And once you get the certificate, you will be notified of the compensation amount and within 15 days the competent authority will submit the amount directly on your account," Kejriwal said.

The Bill envisages entrusting a 'Competent Officer' with the purpose of effecting payment of compensation to an individual and recovery of the compensation from the officer or person responsible.
"The amount will have to recovered from someone's salary. From whose account the money is to be recovered is to be decided by the competent authority within three months. And if the authority fails to decide then he amount will be recovered from his account," Kejriwal said.

The payment of compensation shall be automatic and compulsory for any delay, a senior government official said. For delay of services of more than 30 days automatic payment will be ensured till resolution and in cases of non-payment within time prescribed, a person shall be paid double the amount, the official added.
The Chief Minister said that the amended legislation shall ensure both "rewards and penalties" as officials who perform well and are not complained against will receive "handsome rewards" from the government at the end of the year.
The existing Act says issuance of new driving license as well as renewal of old license should not take more than one day of filling of the applications and private power discoms are to provide new electricity connection within 35 days, among other provisions.