Karnataka to enact Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act

The Karnataka cabinet today approved a proposal to enact the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Bill 2011. Briefing reporters, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister S Suresh Kumar said though there is a citizen's charter in various departments to provide citizen-related services in stipulated time, there was no commitment to implement it.

Under the proposed bill, public servants would have to deliver citizen-related services in stipulated time, failing which they would be liable to pay compensatory cost. "Habitual offenders" -- public servants who log more than 25 'defaults' (not delivering services on time) a year -- would face "action".

Those with "no default" would be eligible to get incentive, the Minister said. Citizens would be paid by Government Rs 20 for each day of delay in delivery of services, and concerned official would be served with a notice within 15 days after payment of "compensatory cost" asking why that amount should not be recovered from him/her.

The aim is to sensitise public servants and create a culture of delivering services on time, he said. Initially, 90 services coming under ten departments including Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Transport, Revenue, Energy and Finance, would be covered. Karnataka is enacting the bill after studying the model in Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, Kumar said, adding, the State would issue an ordinance in view of "urgency" (ahead of enacting the bill).