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by Ila Choudhary |
New
Delhi: Delhi government officials are likely to be liable to pay
penalty for delay in providing services included in the citizens
charter, ensuring "automatic and mandatory" compensation for people,
doing away with the need to separately apply for it.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Amendments
to the 'Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act
2011' will be brought in the form of a Bill and tabled in the upcoming
session of the Assembly, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said today.
"We are planning to implement it from January 1 next year after it is passed by the Assembly," Kejriwal said.
There
are a total of 371 services, that covers almost all departments, under
the ambit of the legislation that was enacted during the tenure of
Sheila Dikshit.
Kejriwal
claimed that due to its "wrong design", till date no claim for
compensation under the law has been filed in the last three years.
People can file application online to get the services which are being
provided under ESLA (electronic Service Level Agreement).
"Under
the amended law, if you are promised delivery of a certificate within
15 days and don't get it, then from the 16th day the clock of
compensation will start ticking automatically.
"And
once you get the certificate, you will be notified of the compensation
amount and within 15 days the competent authority will submit the amount
directly on your account," Kejriwal said.
The
Bill envisages entrusting a 'Competent Officer' with the purpose of
effecting payment of compensation to an individual and recovery of the
compensation from the officer or person responsible.
"The
amount will have to recovered from someone's salary. From whose account
the money is to be recovered is to be decided by the competent
authority within three months. And if the authority fails to decide then
he amount will be recovered from his account," Kejriwal said.
The
payment of compensation shall be automatic and compulsory for any
delay, a senior government official said. For delay of services of more
than 30 days automatic payment will be ensured till resolution and in
cases of non-payment within time prescribed, a person shall be paid
double the amount, the official added.
The
Chief Minister said that the amended legislation shall ensure both
"rewards and penalties" as officials who perform well and are not
complained against will receive "handsome rewards" from the government
at the end of the year.
The
existing Act says issuance of new driving license as well as renewal of
old license should not take more than one day of filling of the
applications and private power discoms are to provide new electricity
connection within 35 days, among other provisions.
