Assam: Right to Public Service; Is Dispur going to hike user fees?

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: To provide services to the citizens in a timely manner, the Assam Right to Public Service Act (ARTPS) was enacted in 2012. Around 398 services are included under this Act. In lieu of providing services, a fee was charged according to the type of service rendered. Now, the government is supposedly planning to increase the user fees charged for the services.

Under the ARTPS Act, there are different types of services rendered, like the issue of caste, birth, marriage, and domicile certificates; permission for electric connection; the issue of copies of voter cards, ration cards, land records, driving licenses, license renewals, etc. The services were to be provided both online and offline. A particular timeframe was fixed for providing the service asked for, and if not done in time, there is also a provision for action against the designated public servant concerned. The Act was amended in 2024, and the State Commission for ARTPS was given the power to recommend disciplinary action against the designated public servant who persistently failed to provide the notified service to the citizen without a valid reason.

Sources said that, although 398 services were included under the ambit of ARTPS, only around 100 services were regularly provided to the citizens, both in online and offline mode. Now, the authority concerned has asked all departments to maximize the online services provided to citizens and improve service delivery. They also said that some user fees fixed long ago have not been revised, and the same may be increased in the range of Rs 50 to Rs 5,000, depending on the type of service. As a result, the overall user charge collection can be enhanced from the present Rs 50 crore to Rs 200 crore in the 2024-25 financial year.

The authority concerned also instructed that each department should prepare a catalogue of its citizen services to be provided to the public, and all the services are to be brought online and made chargeable according to the service.

Sources further said that the delivery system for the services could not function to the maximum as there was a dearth of manpower from the start and the support system required was not improved over time. Moreover, the monitoring system for the services delivered was not up to par. The government has given a thrust to maximize the delivery of the services as envisaged in the Act. There is also a provision that if someone is not provided the service in time, he or she may approach an appellate authority with the grievance.

Also Read: Training programme on ARTPS Act & Rules held in Tinsukia (sentinelassam.com)

Also watch: