Karna assembly passes Sakala services bill

A bill seeking to encourage public authorities to deliver services electronically or through post to the citizens and providing for disciplinary action against officials for failure to act in stipulated time was today passed by the Karnataka Assembly.
The Karnataka Sakala Services (Amendment) Bill, 2014, passed by voice-vote, also envisaged recovering compensatory cost from the guilty officers and punish the officials who defeat the purpose of the Act.
"The Bill will encourage public authorities to deliver services electronically or through post to the citizen in phased manner," Law and Parliamentary Minister T B Jayachandra told the assembly.
The other aim of the Bill was to initiate disciplinary proceedings against designated officer or competent officer or appellate authority who fails to deliver citizen-related services or dispose appeal within stipulated time, Jayachandra said.

"Every appellate authority or competent officer designated officer or his subordinate public servant who fails to deliver or dispose the citizen related services or appeals of a citizen within the stipulated time shall be liable to pay compensatory cost at the rate of Rs 2 per day for the period of delay subject to a maximum of Rs 500 per application, in aggregate, if there is no ban or restriction from the government to provide the same," he said.
"If any officer fails to deliver the citizen related service or dispose appeals within the stipulated time for more than seven times, he shall be subject to enquiry by the concerned disciplinary authority and if found guilty, prepare a report against the concerned officer and submit it to the government, Jayachandra added.