SC refuses to entertain PIL seeking 'Citizen Charter'

The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Centre to provide a "Citizen Charter' and appoint a grievance redressal officer in every department to ensure smooth delivery of services and goods to the people.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra asked 'Bhartiya Matdata Sanghathan', a charitable organisation which had filed the public interest litigation (PIL), to approach the government with its plea.

The organisation, in its PIL filed through advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, had sought a direction to the central government to provide a 'Citizen Charter' in each department, besides seeking notification of a "Grievance Redressal Officer" in every department.

The plea said "the right to time-bound service, goods and redressal of grievances" was an integral part of right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, however, said it cannot direct the Centre to frame the charter and disposed of the plea with the liberty to the organisation to approach the government.

Lawyer Anupam Lal Das said the charter would help the citizens in knowing the services like grant of birth and death certificates being offered by the authorities and the timeline for procuring them.

It would also guide the citizens in approaching the right person with his or her grievances, he said, adding that both Houses of Parliament have agreed to this in principle.

"The injury caused to the public because the government has not only failed to appoint a Lokpal at Centre and Lokayuktas in all states but also a citizen charter in every department. Hence, it failed to provide time bound service in the spirit of the Article 21," the plea said.