Public Services Guarantee Act

To be honest, let it be analysed as to how many Government run departments in Jammu and Kashmir are adhering to prescribed time schedule in dispensing papers , applications , reminders etc received with decisions taken in favour or against in respect of the issues raised by the public. In fact, providing services by the departments in time to people to their satisfaction is still alien to the system as implementation process is nowhere seen even if time to be taken against each service provided or work done is specifically mentioned. Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act dealing with the entire issue like a ‘code book’ is more or less on papers only which shows not only at the ground level dispensing tables in the departments, but even at higher levels in the administration that no one seemed to be bothered about making the provisions of the said Act adhered to in letter and spirit and discourage the diehard habit of keeping things pending and lingering on, in most of the cases wilfully. It is wholly repugnant to the goal of making public servants engaged in Government run departments responsible and responsive to the needs of the people visiting the offices for their requirements fulfilled and works disposed of in time . Unduly bothering people , harassments and corruption are very often offshoots of this approach which needs to be changed.
Jammu and Kashmir state otherwise can claim taking of an innovative step by passing a landmark law in respect of Public Services Guarantee Act nearly eight years back, say in the year 2011 but what is astonishing is that on the front of its strict implementation, the result is absolutely in nullity . It is to be noted that Union, Ministry of Home Affairs, did not interfere with the efficacy of this Act by deciding not to repeal it under the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir State Reorganisation Act passed by the Parliament. It has primarily been done looking to its broader objective of being totally people friendly in that guaranteeing the people of Jammu and Kashmir getting different services from the Government departments within the specified time limit. That is precisely the reason that even the Governor’s administration added few more services to be covered under the Act. Could it be known that despite tall announcements about strict implementation of the Act, why no progress has been recorded and thus such resolutions of the Government having not travelled beyond announcements and issuing of circulars , seems unusual.
If it is seen as to how GOI Public Sector Undertakings like Banks and other service institutions having made it a part of their working culture to specifically allot timings in minutes for each and every service provided across the counter , the importance and the utility of the said Act could be realised. In cases where some time was needed to take a decision, a proper track record was mandatorily maintained in respect of papers moving between tables and authorities and for that also a few days , not even more than a week was prescribed. For every decision or implementation of a rule , it was imperative to have periodic review meetings to assess the levels of implementation and suggesting of measures for improvement but it is beyond comprehension as to why for more than a year no review meeting of the implementation of the Act has taken place . What is the role of the General Administration Department in this respect? At district levels , position is the same as District Authorities have proved more frugal in periodically taking stock of where the implementation levels stood. Hence, in absence of the input feedback from various sources, the Government does not know the fate of implementation of this very promising Act . The Act is comprehensive and complete in all respects where even provision for First Appellate Authorities and Second Appellate Authorities is there under Section 8 in respect of each service but when implementation is absolutely naught, how could a turnaround be possible in providing services within a time frame? Government must look into it on priority basis.

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