*Only one deptt submits proposal; nodal officers yet to be appointed
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 10: In an unbecoming act on their part, majority of the Administrative Secretaries have been soft-paddling on the directions of the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti regarding bringing more services under the ambit of Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) as only one of them has submitted a proposal in this regard to the General Administration Department during the past nearly one year. Moreover, new State level Nodal Officers for carrying out implementation of this landmark legislation have not been appointed during the past quite long time.
The Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011, which came into effect from August 10, 2011, provides for the delivery of public services by the designated officers to the eligible persons of the State within the specified time limit.
To carry out implementation of the Act, the State Government has notified the Rules vide SRO 223 of 2011. Further vide SRO 224 of 2011 the State Government notified the services to be delivered to the eligible persons under the Act, time limit for providing the notified services, particulars of the designated officers, first appellate authorities and second appellate authorities.
The Act inter-alia provides for imposition of fine on the designated officers for their failure to provide service to the eligible person or delay in providing the service or service provided is deficient in any manner.
While chairing a meeting of top officers on April 27, 2016, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had explicitly stated that Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) can become a potent tool against scourge of corruption provided timelines are adhered to strictly by the officers. Laying stress on strict adherence to the timelines for providing services under PSGA, the Chief Minister had issued directions for widening the ambit of Act by bringing more services under its purview.
These directions were reiterated in numerous meetings chaired by the Chief Minister and accordingly the General Administration Department, which has been given the task of ensuring implementation of the Act through an institutionalized mechanism, dashed communiqués to all the Administrative Secretaries asking them to furnish proposals for bringing more services of their respective departments under the purview of PSGA, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
However, only one department—Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs has submitted the proposal to the General Administration Department till date while as all other departments are soft-paddling on the directions of the Chief Minister despite lapse of nearly one year and issuance of repeated reminders by the General Administration Department, sources informed.
“In this way, obstacles are being created in the way of increasing services despite the fact that this legislation is a vital tool to make Government employees and departments accountable for providing services to the people especially down-trodden sections of the society”, sources regretted, adding “not only on furnishing proposals about inclusion of more services numerous departments are also not taking keen interest in furnishing monthly progress reports to the General Administration Department thereby creating road-blocks in ensuring effective implementation of the Act”.
As per the provisions of the Act, the State level Nodal Officers are required to be appointed for carrying out its implementation but no fresh State level Nodal Officer has been appointed and General Administration Department is responsible for this, sources said, adding “similar is the fate of setting up of robust grievance redressal mechanism in the departments, which otherwise is imperative for ensuring strict adherence to the timelines prescribed under PSGA”.
It is pertinent to mention here that under J&K Public Service Guarantee Act, 80 public services are required to be provided by 13 departments in a time bound manner failing which penalties and disciplinary action are supposed to be recommended against the designated officers.
“Though there are numerous applications which are pending disposal within time, beyond time and disposed of beyond time yet what action has been taken against the delinquent officials has never been revealed which otherwise is imperative to send a message that Government is serious in ensuring strict implementation of the Act”, sources said.
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