*Amendments to be brought during Budget Session
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 27: In order to make it a potent tool against the scourge of corruption, the Government has decided to carry out amendments in the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) and its Rules during the Budget Session scheduled to be held in summer capital of the State next month.
The nod in this regard was given today by the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, who wants to make Public Service Guarantee Act more stringent so that designated officers don’t go scot free for denying services to the people within the timelines.
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR that Chief Minister has taken serious note of poor implementation of the PSGA by majority of the departments and failure of the General Administration Department to come up with the measures required to be taken to ensure compliance to the provisions of this people-friendly legislation in letter and spirit by all the designated officers.
She has conveyed her resentment on designated officers going scot free despite breaching of timelines vis-à-vis services required to be provided to the common masses under PSGA, sources said, adding “Chief Minister has also expressed serious concern that those having administrative control over the officers designated for providing services under PSGA never bothered to ensure strict implementation of the Act”.
It is pertinent to mention here that on April 20, 2016 EXCELSIOR had exclusively highlighted that not even one officer has been punished since the enactment of the Act by way of imposition of fine strictly as per the provisions of the Act despite denying timely services to the people.
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.
“Chief Minister has asked Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Ahmad Bukhari to suggest steps required to be taken to make the PSGA stringent so that necessary amendments either in the Act or in the Rules are carried out during the Budget Session beginning next month in Srinagar”, sources said.
Chief Minister is of the opinion that Act is the most people friendly legislation but it failed to yield the desirable results only because of poor implementation mechanism, sources said, adding “the amendments in Act or in Rules are aimed at making not only the designated officers but their seniors also accountable for providing timely services to the people”.
“Some stringent measures would be incorporated so that designated officers have no space to go unpunished for not performing as per the provisions of the Act. Moreover, through the amendments their seniors would be given sufficient powers of supervision and for taking or recommending strict action against the designated officers for denial of timely services”, sources said.
They disclosed that Chief Minister has also issued directions for reviewing the existing timelines and curtailing the time schedule in respect of maximum services so as to make the officers responsive. It has generally been noticed that officers provide services only when few days are left for expiry of time-line despite the fact that such services can be provided within two or three days.
Moreover, there will be enough focus on generating awareness at various levels about the provisions of this landmark legislation. The awareness will not only be generated among the people but the officers also so that there is no excuse for denial of services. “As the officers get frequently transferred the new ones put on hold the services on the pretext of having no knowledge about the law”, sources said.
During the course of amendments, the manpower and funds requirement aspects will also be taken into consideration so as to strengthen the implementation mechanism.
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