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State Govt to implement Act as per people’s aspirations
The two-day deliberations on strengthening the entire process of delivering public services and fixing accountability concluded here on Friday. The State Government intended to implement Public Service Guarantee Act as per people’s aspirations and wishes.
Therefore, the Government has kept all its options open for adopting suitable suggestions, opinions and recommendations put forth by the experts of the subject. Keeping this objective in view, deliberations were held to elicit views of administrative officers, voluntary organisations and experts from 12 States.
The experts assembled on the occasion were of the view that the right given to the people to avail public services within time-limit should become mere a Government programme. Therefore, token fees should be charged for availing quick service with a view to dispel the public belief that the Government is bound to oblige them.
Delivery of such services will be free of cost and it will lead to a tendency among people to become oblivious to their responsibilities and these arrangements might end up as a mere official formality in the long run. Experts were also of the view that the revenue realised as token fees will help in running the public service centres and make other arrangements related to this sector. This recommendation has been mooted by the group formed to discuss capacity building and its challenges.
Another recommendation of experts is that side-by-side with punishing the employees for not providing services in time-limit, there should also be a provision to reward them for good work. A sense of fear will develop among the government employees by imposing only fine and their capacity of work will be jeopardised. Similarly, reward will motivate them to do work with self-inspiration and pleasure. This view also emerged during the discussions in skill-augmentation group.
Another group of experts suggested finding alternatives to fine as provision of punishment under the Act. At present, the fine is deducted from salary at the rate of days by which the delay was caused. They were of the opinion that on the practical ground, a token amount of fine can be fixed as fine and recovered from the guilty employee. The group also opined that apart from fine, delivery of service to the concerning applicant should also be ensured. This recommendation was made by the group constituted to discuss reforms in law and constitutional set-up under the Act.
The Session where reports of these groups were presented was presided over by noted economist Ishar Ahluwalia. The recommendations were analysed by former Union Secretary BS Baswan and the session was conducted by Principal Secretary Public Service Management Iqbal Singh Bains. School of Good Governance Director General HP Dixit and UNDP’s Capacity Building Coordinator Ondart Hussar were also present on the occasion.
The two-day deliberations on strengthening the entire process of delivering public services and fixing accountability concluded here on Friday. The State Government intended to implement Public Service Guarantee Act as per people’s aspirations and wishes.
Therefore, the Government has kept all its options open for adopting suitable suggestions, opinions and recommendations put forth by the experts of the subject. Keeping this objective in view, deliberations were held to elicit views of administrative officers, voluntary organisations and experts from 12 States.
The experts assembled on the occasion were of the view that the right given to the people to avail public services within time-limit should become mere a Government programme. Therefore, token fees should be charged for availing quick service with a view to dispel the public belief that the Government is bound to oblige them.
Delivery of such services will be free of cost and it will lead to a tendency among people to become oblivious to their responsibilities and these arrangements might end up as a mere official formality in the long run. Experts were also of the view that the revenue realised as token fees will help in running the public service centres and make other arrangements related to this sector. This recommendation has been mooted by the group formed to discuss capacity building and its challenges.
Another recommendation of experts is that side-by-side with punishing the employees for not providing services in time-limit, there should also be a provision to reward them for good work. A sense of fear will develop among the government employees by imposing only fine and their capacity of work will be jeopardised. Similarly, reward will motivate them to do work with self-inspiration and pleasure. This view also emerged during the discussions in skill-augmentation group.
Another group of experts suggested finding alternatives to fine as provision of punishment under the Act. At present, the fine is deducted from salary at the rate of days by which the delay was caused. They were of the opinion that on the practical ground, a token amount of fine can be fixed as fine and recovered from the guilty employee. The group also opined that apart from fine, delivery of service to the concerning applicant should also be ensured. This recommendation was made by the group constituted to discuss reforms in law and constitutional set-up under the Act.
The Session where reports of these groups were presented was presided over by noted economist Ishar Ahluwalia. The recommendations were analysed by former Union Secretary BS Baswan and the session was conducted by Principal Secretary Public Service Management Iqbal Singh Bains. School of Good Governance Director General HP Dixit and UNDP’s Capacity Building Coordinator Ondart Hussar were also present on the occasion.
