Telangana govt fails in implementing Citizen's Charter

Hyderabad: Government departments in Telangana state have fared badly in implementing the Citizen’s Charter to ensure citizens get prompt service from the administration.

Though stipulated deadlines have been prescribed to deliver government services to people, no department has been able to meet them in the absence of legislation to punish officials and staff who don’t deliver.

People are forced to run around government offices for weeks and months to get certificates and other services. Now, the TS government is planning to bring in the Citizen’s Right to Delivery of Service Act to ensure that citizens get time-bound service and erring staff is punished.

Currently, the citizen's charters displayed in offices since 2013, which detail the services on offer, the quality of services to be provided and the timeline for delivery, remain only on notice boards.

In a review of the implementation of the charter conducted by the government, the revenue department has fared the worst, followed by the panchayat raj, municipal administration, transport, medical and health, agriculture, cooperation, backward classes, SC welfare, ST welfare, minority welfare, school education and information technology departments.

After registration of a property in the revenue department, the document should be scanned, certified and returned to the party within 24 hours, according to the charter, but it takes days and even weeks.

A penalty of Rs 50 per day has to be imposed on the sub-registrar for the delay, but this is rarely implemented. The income certificate has to be provided within seven days, but takes three weeks to a month and longer in districts such as Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda, Adilabad etc. A duplicate copy of a residence certificate should be provided in 15 minutes, but takes one week.

The TS government is now planning to bring in an Act along the lines of the MP legislation, imposing penalties on erring officials. Sources at the Centre for Good Governance said a public grievance redressal commission will also be set up to inquire into the cases and initiate action against erring staff.

Penalties will range from Rs 250 to Rs 30,000 per day depending on the gravity of the lapses committed by the staff. Delhi, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttarkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir already have such Acts, which are being studied to draft a suitable Act for Telangana.