Civil body suggests Govt for a Bill on time bound service for people

BHUBANESWAR: An organisation, Odisha Durniti Sanghrsh Manch, comprising members from the civil society have drafted a bill ‘Right to Time Bound Compliance of Public Service Bill, 2012’ to make the public authorities accountable before the public. “We will press the Government to enact the bill in the assembly for the betterment of the common people of the State,” said president of Odisha Durniti Sanghrsh Manch and the mastermind of the draft Uma Shankar Mishra at a Press meet here on Sunday.

“After the implementation of the Bill, the public authorities will provide certain services according to the queries of the common people within the stipulated time limits, which are need of the hour,” Mishra said.

Members of various social organisations and NGOs along with retired Government officials and journalists were present in the meeting. They have discussed at length about the Bill and decided to talk with the Government to pass the Bill.

The objective of the Bill is to create a responsive mechanism of governance which acts quickly and timely to solve the grievances of the public and to provide for the delivery of services to the public in the State within the stipulated time limit, including liabilities of the government servants, in case of default.

There are 16 Sections in the Bill with a schedule which can be expanded according to necessity. In the Bill, provision has been made to apply e-governance of the services to avoid harassment of applicants running to the office personally and if the applicants claim is not complied within stipulated time then fine systems are also there. 

“Strong punishment has been provided for habitual defaulter, Civil Court interference has been avoided by ousting Jurisdiction of Civil Court and overriding effect has been given to this Act to make it more effective,” said the drafters of the Bill.

The drafters of the Bill claimed the Act is a very strong one. It must create fear in the minds of the defaulter employees, who casually avoid to do the work or intentionally avoid do the work with ulterior motive for getting brief, they added. “This Act is not a tooth less tiger and it would certainly give speedy relief to applicants, which is the duty of a Welfare Government,” Mishra said.