Chhattisgarh Enforces Citizens’ Charter

     Raipur, January 03, 2012: In an important decision, the BJP government in Chhattisgarh today said it has enforced Citizens’ Charter in the state while bringing in 139 public services under it.

      With the publication on December 12, 2011 of the Chhattisgarh Lok Sewa Guarantee Act 2011 in the Official Gazette, the Act has come into force in the entire state, official sources told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com here.

     Chhattisgarh Lok Sewa Guarantee Act 2011 has been put in place for the delivery of certain public services to citizens by the state government, local bodies, public authorities or agencies within the stipulated time and to fix the liabilities of persons responsible for delivery of such services in the event of default and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, official sources said.

     Every person shall have the right to obtain Lok Sewa or Public Service in Chhattisgarh, with in the stipulated time as notified from time to time by the state government, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, they said.

     Every applicant who fails to obtain public services within the stipulated time shall be entitled to receive cost as provided under Sub Section (4) of the Section 4 in respect of his application in the manner as may be prescribed, they added.

     Every department shall designate a person or persons responsible for delivering public service from the date of commencement of this Act and the fact of such designation shall be displayed in some conspicuous part of the department for the information of general public.

     Every application for Lok Sewa shall be acknowledged by the person responsible for delivering the service of by the department, as the case may be, and every applicant shall be entitled to obtain the status of his application in the manner as may be prescribed, the officials said.

     Every person responsible for delivering Lok Sewa, who fails to deliver such services within the stipulated time shall be liable to pay costs at the rate of one hundred rupees for each day during the period of delay, if any, subject to a maximum of one thousand rupees, which shall be recoverable from him towards payment to the person applying for Lok Sewa in respect of failure to obtain such services, they said.

     Currently 139 public services spread over 20 departments have been brought under it, including Urban Development, Food and Civil Supply, Transport, Revenue, Public Health Engineering, Public Works Department, Labour, Tribal, Rural Development, Energy, Commercial Tax, Higher Education, Water Resources, Forest, Home (Jail), Technical Education, Science and Technology, they said.