Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, has, in collaboration with the Department of Public Policy and Public Administration (DPP& PA), Central University of Jammu (CUJ) organized a workshop on the theme of Public Service Delivery-Implementation of Rights to Service Act in States. More than 40 delegates, including State Secretaries and Directors from 20 States participated in the programme.
This is perhaps the first ever seminar held in Jammu on an interesting theme that ultimately touches on the burning issue of good governance and delivery in accordance with the Act. On the sidelines of the workshop, Mr. C Viswanath, Union Secretary, DARPG, said that the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India, was going to ask the Government of Jammu and Kashmir State for inclusion of more services under the ambit of J&K Public Service Guarantee Act and effective implementation of the same. We appreciate that a workshop on a live subject has been organized in the State and it has great significance for us. The important point on which much debate has to take place in future is that of accountability on the part of Government functionaries. The considered opinion of experts is that there should be emphasis on accountability part of the Act. Unless top functionaries are made accountable, the spirit of the Act may remain elusive. Speaking to media on the sidelines of the workshop, Union Secretary DARPG strongly suggested that defaulters have to be made accountable if we want the spirit of good governance to prevail.
As no such workshop has ever been held in Jammu, the deliberations of the workshop should be helpful guidelines for the State Governments including J&K. We are sanguine that the State Government will seriously consider implementation of the suggestions emerging from the workshop to improve good governance. At the same time it would be advisable to bring more services within the ambit of the Act.
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