Public Service Delivery System: Lack of Designated Officials Leads to Stagnation

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: An Act was executed in 2012 to render public prompt services in issuing of birth certificates, land-related documents, etc., within a stipulated timeframe. And for the smooth running of this Act, designated officials were appointed in 18 departments.

Until 2016, providing 58 public services of these 18 departments under the ‘Assam Right to Public Service Act, 2012’ was quite prompt. However, after 2016, as many as 400 services from various departments were brought under the Act. This has made the process of public service delivery system quite lethargic now.

The Assam Right to Public Service Act, 2012 was brought to ensure timely delivery of public services to citizens. A designated public servant was notified for the delivery of services in each department in the Act. However, the system entered the phase of stagnation after 2016 when the government brought as many as 400 public services from various departments under it. The prime reason behind the stagnation in the public service delivery system after 2016 is – the government brought 400 more public services under the Act but stopped short of notifying any designated public servant in each of the departments brought under the Act. Two reasons that seem to have plagued the system are – an applicant seeking service delivery timely does not get any designated official to hand over his/her application as no such official has been notified for the purpose. On the other hand, no official wants to take an additional responsibility on his/her own.

However, the Assam Right to Public Service Act has been amended in the recently-held summer session of the State Assembly. The amendment has brought penalty for officials for not being able to deliver public services within stipulated timeframes. But, many in the administration view that such a measure will only worsen the situation. According to them, because of penalty most of the officials will be scared of taking additional burden on their own. They feel that the best way to get the job well accomplished is notifying a designated public servant against each department as done in case of the 58 public services of 18 departments earlier. The delivery of the 58 public services in the 18 departments is quite smooth even now. Providing birth certificates, permanent residence certificates, land-related documents etc are some of the public services being delivered under the Act.

According to sources, the government increased the number of public services under the Act but stopped short of providing the very mechanism to get the job done. Since the Act was brought with the good intension of ensuring timely and transparent delivery of public services, it is imperative on the part of the government to plug the lacunae in the system and ensure its full-fledged implementation.

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