In a bid to ensure that there is no undue delay in delivery of services to citizens, the Delhi government on Tuesday notified the “Delhi Right of Citizen to Time-Bound Delivery of Services Act” which was passed by the Assembly in the just-concluded Budget session.
The law has provisions for fines against officials who delay clearance of files and stipulates time limit in which various services need to be delivered to the citizens.
The new law, which is on the lines of similar laws adopted by the states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, fixes financial penalty in the range of `10 to `200 per day for failing to deliver the services while making it a right of every citizen to obtain time-bound delivery of services from certain government agencies.
The revenue, food and civil supplies, transport and trade and taxes departments along with the civic bodies, MCD and NDMC, have been brought under the ambit of the new law.
A maximum penalty of `5,000 can be imposed against officials for failing to deliver services in the specified time.
The legislation has provision for setting up of a competent authority to decide the penalty for delay in services. In case of issuance of ration card, the new law has specified a time limit of not more than 45 days. In the case of birth and death certificates, the time limit is one week. Further, the transport department should not take more than one day to renew a permanent driving licence while learner’s driving licence should be issued on the day of filing of the application.