Sunday, December 5, 2010

Right to Service Bill or Duty to Service Bill?

Bihar Chief Minister said in an interview to BS:

  • …….we are actively involved in making special laws and putting in place special provisions to control corruption. We are in the process of drafting a Right to Service Bill. To curb corruption in local bodies, a Lokpal will be appointed.

  • It is going to be the biggest administrative reform in Bihar. During my Vishwas Yatras, I saw that people had to make numerous rounds of government offices for the simplest of jobs. That is why we took this innovative step. According to the provisions of this Bill, simple works like issuing caste certificates, character certificates, medical certificates, birth or death certificates and passports will have to done in set time. If the work is not done within the deadline, the official concerned will be fined. One of the most important provisions is that the fine will be deducted from the official’s salary. These are small steps but will create a huge impact.

  • We are also planning to take the help of information technology later. We feel that people should not have to visit government offices for these simple things. The government is establishing common service centres, known as Vasudha Kendras, in every panchayat. These will be equipped with computers and internet connections. People will be able to drop their applications at these centres. They will be able to view the status of their applications on the internet. This can be implemented at a later stage. But right now, we want to ensure that the common man gets the services of civil servants. Our main aim is to ensure that the common man has minimum possible interaction with government officials for getting his work done.

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