*Fresh instructions issued for submission of progress reports
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 20: Admitting that departments are not seriously implementing the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA), the General Administration Department has issued fresh instructions to all the concerned for implementation of this landmark and people-friendly legislation in letter and spirit with the direction for submission of monthly progress reports.
The GAD, which is the State level nodal agency to ensure effective implementation of the Act, woke up from the deep slumber only after the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti during recent review meetings expressed serious concern over slackness in delivering identified services to the people under Public Services Guarantee Act.
The EXCELSIOR in its edition dated April 18 exclusively highlighted that General Administration Department has failed to conduct periodic review of the implementation of the Public Services Guarantee Act, which otherwise was imperative to ensure that designated officers strictly adhere to the timelines for providing services to the people. Even impediments in effective implementation of the Act were brought to the fore through this news-item.
Now, the General Administration Department has woken up from the deep slumber and found it imperative to issue fresh instructions to the departments for effective implementation of the Act. The Commissioner/Secretary of the department has fairly admitted that departments were not adhering to the provisions of the PSGA despite the fact that under Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Rules, 2011, it is obligatory on the designated officers to provide public services notified under rules within the specified time limit.
“It has been observed that the monthly progress reports on account of implementation of the PSGA are not being submitted to this department regularly and within the stipulated time—by or before 10th of the following month. Consequently, the consolidation and analysis of such reports gets delayed which, in turn, adversely affects monitoring of the implementation of the Act at this level”, reads the circular issued by Gazzanfer Hussain, Commissioner/ Secretary to the Government, General Administration Department.
The GAD has further admitted that there is no strict compliance to the devised format even by those departments, which are submitting the monthly progress reports, which is a pointer towards half-hearted approach in implementation of the Act.
Now, the GAD has directed all the concerned to communicate the current status of State and District Level Nodal Officers for carrying out implementation of the Act and also ensure that the progress report with effect from April 2015 onwards, consolidated at the district level (department-wise), reaches GAD by or before April 25 without any fail.
However, the GAD has yet not addressed the issues of manpower constraints and lack of funds, which otherwise are required to be taken seriously for effective implementation of PSGA.
“Though the GAD has passed fresh instructions to the departments for ensuring implementing of Act, it is totally silent about the job which is required to be performed at its own level”, sources said while disclosing that GAD is supposed to conduct inspection of offices of the designated officers and first appellate and second appellate authorities but this aspect has not been taken seriously till date.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the Government Order No.25-GAD dated August 23, 2011, it was specifically mentioned that GAD shall monitor implementation of the provisions of the Act, superintendence of the cases filed under the Act and shall also conduct inspection of offices of the designated officers.
“It is a matter of concern that not even one officer has been punished by way of imposition of fine strictly as per the provisions of the Act despite denying timely services as fairly admitted by the GAD and pointed out by the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti”, sources said.
The Act provides for imposition of fine on the designated officers for their failure to provide service to the eligible person or delay in providing the services. Even an account head was created for crediting the fines imposed in terms of the PSGA.
“While ensuring that all the departments strictly adhere to the provisions of the Act, the GAD must take steps for effective monitoring of implementation”, sources stressed, adding the implementation of PSGA in letter and spirit can go a long way in providing succor to the people as around 80 services of 11 key departments have been brought under the ambit of PSGA.
These departments are Housing and Urban Development, Revenue, Power Development, Transport, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Forest, Home, Labour and Employment and Health and Medical Education Departments.
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