Right to Service Act in India.pdf

Right to Service Act in India

1. RighttoServiceActinIndia
“Thetime-boundservicelegislationisasharp-edgedweapon.
toeliminatecorruptionfrompublicoffices”.
Author:Dr.DimpleJindal[1]
Email:[email protected]
“Theveryperformanceofadutysecuresusourright.Rightscannotbedivorcedfrom
duties.Thisishowsatyagrahawasborn,forIwasalwaysstrivingtodecidewhatmyduty
was.Ifwealldischargeourduties,rightswillnotbefartoseek.”[2]
…MahatmaGandhi
Abstract
“Rightisdutywellperformed”.TheRighttoServiceActhasempoweredpeopletoseek
hasslefree,corruption-free,andtime-boundservicedeliverymechanismsingovernment
offices.ThemainobjectiveofthisActistodelivertime-boundserviceswithoutany
hassle,whichalsoimprovesthecredibilityofgovernmentoffices.Thisactensuresfast
workandbringsmoretransparencyandcredibilitytotheofficialworkingsof
governmentdepartments.OnecansaythatthisActisonestepaheadoftheRightto

2. InformationAct,2005,andthatthisActisasharp-edgedweapontoeliminatecorruption
ingovernmentoffices,bringtransparencytoofficialworking,andenhancethe
accountabilityofpublicservants.
Introduction
InIndia,therearestatutorylawsthatguaranteethetimelydeliveryofavarietyofpublic
servicesprovidedbythegovernmenttocitizens.Theselawsalsoincludemechanisms
forpunishingerrantpublicemployeeswhofailtoprovidetheservicesrequiredbylaw.
ThepurposeoftheRTIActistoimprovetransparencyandpublicaccountabilitywhile
decreasingcorruptionamongpublicservants.OnAugust18,2010,MadhyaPradesh
becamethefirstIndianstatetoimplementtheRighttoServiceAct,andonJuly25,
2011,Biharbecamethesecondstatetodoso.Similarlegislationhasbeenintroduced
inanumberofotherstates,includingDelhi,Punjab,Rajasthan,HimachalPradesh,
Kerala,Uttarakhand,Haryana,UttarPradesh,Odisha,Jharkhand,Maharashtra,andWest
Bengal,toimplementthecitizen’srighttoservice.
RiseofCorruptioninIndia
Corruptionistherootcauseofthenon-complianceofdutiesbygovernmentservantson
time.Ithasbeenobservedthatcorruptionisontherise,andtheofficialsembarrassthe
peoplebywastingtheirtimeandnotfulfillingtheirdutiesontime.Theydemandmoney
orseekotherfinancialbenefits fromthepeoplevisitingtheirofficesinconsiderationof
theirroutinejob,andtheydon’tcompletetheirtaskuntiltheygetpaidfordoingit.
Sometimes,theyletthepeoplevisittheofficeagainandagain,buttheydidn’t
accomplishtheirjob.Therighttogetservicedoneinatime-boundmannermayhave
somedeterrenteffect,duetowhichtheofficersmustaccomplishtheirjobwithindue
time.Registrationofabirthcertificate,approvalofamapfortheconstructionofany
building,installationofanelectricitymeter,etc.areallsomeofthoseservicesthatare
routineinnaturebutverydifficulttogetdone.
RighttoServiceActinIndia
“WhiletheDeclarationofRightswasbeforetheNationalAssembly,someofits
membersremarkedthatifadeclarationofrightswerepublished,itshouldbe
accompaniedbyaDeclarationofDuties.Theobservationdiscoveredamindthat
reflected,anditonlyerredbynotreflectingfarenough.ADeclarationofrightsis,by
reciprocity,alsoaDeclarationofduties.Whateverismyrightasamanisalsotheright
ofanother;anditbecomesmydutytoguaranteeaswellastopossess.”[3]

3. InIndia,theRighttoServiceActisnotfullydevelopedyet.SomeStateshaveenacted
thislegislation,butothershavenotyet.TheforemostStatesenactingthislaware
MadhyaPradesh,Bihar,Delhi,Punjab,Uttarakhand,Haryana,HimachalPradesh,
Rajasthan,Kerala,UttarPradesh,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Chhattisgarh,Jammu&
Kashmir,Orissa,Assam,Gujrat,WestBengal,Goa,andMaharashtra.
Peoplearealsonotfullyawareoftheirrights.Theydidn’tknowhowtousetheirrightto
gettheservicesdoneontimefromthegovernmentofficials,whichotherwisetheywere
notreadytodoeasily.
CenterGovernmentBill:Citizen’sCharterandGrievanceRedressalBill2011
TheCitizen’sCharterandGrievanceRedressalBill2011,alsoknownasTheRightof
CitizensforTime-BoundDeliveryofGoodsandServicesandRedressalofTheir
GrievancesBill,2011ortheCitizensCharterBill,wasproposedbyIndiancentral
legislation.ItwastabledbyV.Narayanasamy,MinisterofStateforPersonnel,Public
Grievances,andPensions,intheLokSabhainDecember2011.Thebilllapseddueto
thedissolutionofthe15thLokSabha.
ApplicationofActindifferentStatesofIndia
MadhyaPradeshbecamethefirststateinIndiatoenacttheRighttoServiceActon
August18,2010,andBiharwasthesecondtoenactthisbillonJuly25,2011.Afterthat,
severalotherstateslikeDelhi,Punjab,Uttarakhand,Haryana,HimachalPradesh,
Rajasthan,Kerala,UttarPradesh,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Chhattisgarh,Jammu&
Kashmir,Orissa,Assam,Gujrat,WestBengal,Goa,andMaharashtrahaveintroduced
similarlegislationforeffectuatingtherighttoservicetothecitizen.InPunjab,itis
named“RighttoServiceAct,2011”.InDelhi,itisnamedthe“Delhi(RightofCitizento
TimeBoundDeliveryofServices)Act,2011”.Andinotherstates,itisnamedunder
differentnamesandcomesintoforceondifferentdates.
RighttoServiceActinPunjab
Withanambitiontoprovidedeliveryofservicestothepeopleofthestateswithin
stipulatedorreasonabletime,thePunjabGovt.notified theRighttoServiceOrdinance
onJuly14,2011.TheOrdinancecameintoforceonJuly28,2011,when67services
werenotified underitsprovisions.Soonafter,thePunjabRighttoServiceAct-2011[4]
(PRTSAct-2011)waspassedbytheStateAssemblyandthus,cameintoeffecton
October20,2011.

4. PunjabRighttoServiceActCommission
AsperSection12ofthePRTSAct-2011,thereisaprovisiontoconstitutethePunjab
RighttoServiceCommission(PRTSC),consistingof1ChiefCommissionerand4
CommissionerswhowouldlookafterthetaskofeffectiveimplementationoftheAct.
PRTSChasbeenentrustedwiththetaskofmakingsuggestionstothestategovernment
forensuringbetterdeliveryofservices.TheCommissionwillalsohearrevision
applicationsagainsttheordersofthe2ndAppellateAuthority.TheCommissionhas
beenconstitutedsinceNovember23,2011.
ServicesunderthisAct
DifferentStateshavenotified differentservicesundertheirenactedActs.Generally,
thereare65servicesthatwerenotified bythedifferentgovernments,whilestartingthe
act.Butnowtheseserviceshaveincreasedto351services.Thereisaprovisionforthe
governmenttoincludemoreservicesintheambitofthisactinthefutureaswell.
Timelimitforsomeservices
Thefollowingaresomeexamplesofservices,alongwiththedaysallocatedfortheir
completionwithinduetime.Incaseofdefault,theofficialsliabletocompletethetask,
maybepenalizedasperStatutoryprovisions.
●Takingthecopiesoffardandjamabandifromtherevenuedepartment:1day
●RegistrationofallkindsofdocumentssuchasSaledeeds,Leasedeeds,andGPA
Partnershipdeeds:1day
●TakingcopiesofBirth/Deathcertificates:2daysforthecurrentyearand5days
forpreviousyears.
●Takingacopyofthepost-mortemreport—3days
●IssuingofaDrivingLicense:7days
●Sanctionofbuildingplans:30days
Penalprovisions
“Todayeveryonewantstoknowwhathisrightsare,butifamanlearnstodischargehis
dutiesrightfromchildhoodandstudiesthesacredbooksofhisfaith,heautomatically
exerciseshisrightstoo”.TheRighttoPublicServiceslegislationinIndiacomprises
statutorylawsthatguaranteetimebounddeliveryofservicesforvariouspublicservices
renderedbytheGovernmenttocitizensandprovidemechanismsforpunishingthe
errantpublicservantwhoisdeficientinprovidingtheservicestipulatedunderthe

5. statute.RighttoServicelegislationismeanttoreducecorruptionamonggovernment
officialsandincreasetransparencyandpublicaccountability.
Thecommonframeworkofthelegislationinvariousstatesincludesthegrantingof
“rightstopublicservices”,whicharetobeprovidedtothepublicbythedesignated
officialwithinthestipulatedtimeframe.Thepublicservicesthataretobegrantedasa
rightunderthelegislationaregenerallynotified separatelythroughagazette
notification. Someofthecommonserviceswhicharetobeprovidedwithinthefixed
timeframeasarightundertheActsincludesissuingcaste,birth,marriageanddomicile
certificates,electricconnections,voter’scards,rationcards,copiesoflandrecords,etc.
Onfailuretoprovidetheservicebythedesignateofficerwithinthegiventimeor
rejectiontoprovidetheservice,theaggrievedpersoncanapproachtheFirstAppellate
Authority.TheFirstAppellateAuthority,aftermakingahearing,canacceptorrejectthe
appealbymakingawrittenorderstatingthereasonsfortheorderandinformingthe
applicantofthesame,andcanorderthepublicservanttoprovidetheservicetothe
applicant.
AnappealcanbemadefromtheorderoftheFirstAppellateAuthoritytotheSecond
AppellateAuthority,whocaneitheracceptorrejecttheapplicationbymakingawritten
orderstatingthereasonsfortheorderandintimatethesametotheapplicant,andcan
orderthepublicservanttoprovidetheservicetotheapplicantorcanimposepenaltyon
thedesignatedofficerfordeficiencyofserviceswithoutanyreasonablecause,which
canrangefromRs.500toRs.5000,ormayrecommenddisciplinaryproceedings.The
applicantmaybecompensatedoutofthepenaltyimposedontheofficer.TheAppellate
Authoritieshavebeengrantedcertainpowersofacivilcourtwhiletryingasuitunder
theCodeofCivilProcedure,1908,liketheproductionofdocumentsandtheissuanceof
summonsestotheDesignatedofficersandappellants.
ComparisonofRighttoServiceActwithotherStatutes
TheRighttoServiceActisonestepaheadoftheRighttoInformationActof2005and
thePreventionofCorruptionActinmakinggovernmentofficesmorehassle-free,
corruption-free,andefficient.TheprocedureforTrialandinvestigationunderthe
PreventionofCorruptionActislengthyandtime-consuming.WhiletheRightto
InformationActof2005provesamilestoneinbringingtransparencytotheofficial
workings,TheRighttoServiceActwillproveanothermilestoneinremovingcorruption
fromgovernmentoffices.Butitwilltaketime,asthepublicisnotfullyawareofthisAct.
ThepowersarecompletelyinthehandsofthepublicundertheprovisionsofthisAct.
ThePublicofficerisdutyboundtodohisdutywithinthestipulatedtime,withnoother

6. optiontoavoidthepenalty.TheRighttoInformationAct,2005,bringsonlytransparency,
buttheRighttoServiceActmakestheworkfast(inareasonabletime).
ConclusionandSuggestions
IfthisactispassedineverystateAssemblyofIndiaandasaCenterGovt.Act(inboth
UpperandLowerHouse)also,andbyawarenessprograms,wemakethisActfamiliarto
everycitizen,theneverypublicservantwillhaveafearinhis/hermindwhileperforming
hisduty.Heorshewillnotkeeppendinganymatter,asheorsheknowsthatitwould
attractapenaltyincontraventionofthisAct.
Secondly,thiswillremovecorruptionfromtheoffices.Ithinkacorruption-freeIndiais
thedreamofeverycitizen.Corruptionisthemainhindrancetothedevelopmentofthe
nation.Earlier,thegovernmentofficialshadaroutinetokeepthematterspendingforso
manymonthswiththem,andpeopleoptedforthemethodof“MoneyMantra”todothe
workeasierorevenduringoff-hoursworkinghours.Inthatcase,thesepublicservants
givetheirpersonalattentionandservethepeopleintheirofftimealso,becausethey
knowthattheywillgetextramoneyforthatduty.So,thisisaroutineinthegovernment
officestomakethecasependingandcollectthemoneytodothedutyfast.Thisactwill
stopthispractice.So,thisActwillproveastrongweapontoremovecorruptionfrom
governmentofficesandensurefastworkingintheseoffices.
Duetoalackofawareness,thisactisnotwellknowntoeveryone.Eventhisacthasnot
beenpassedbysomestatesinIndiatillnow.InstateswherethisActispassedbythe
government,therearenotsomanycomplaintslodgedbythePeople.Thegovernment
shouldarrangeforawarenessseminarsontheRighttoServiceActatpublicplaces.
Colleges,societies,andOtherInstitutionsshouldcomeforwardforthearrangementof
theseseminars,whichwillbringmoreawarenesstothepublicandcreateafearinthe
mindsofpublicservantstoperformtheirdutieswithinthestipulatedtime.Theauthor
makesanappealtoeverycitizenandallreadersofthisarticletostartanewwaveof
publicizingthisActtounknownpersons(especiallyilliteratepersons).Ifeverybody
comesforwardandjoinshandstopopularizethislegislationandmakeitmoreeffective,
surelyonedayourcountrywillbecorruptionfreeandtheworkingenvironmentofour
governmentofficeswillbedifferentfromtoday.
[1]DirectorandControlleroftheonlineportalofhttps://juscuriam.com/
[2]Gandhionfreedom,rightsandresponsibility,availableat:
https://www.mkgandhi.org/articles/freedom.htm(VisitedonAugust20,2023).

7. [3]ThomasPaine,TheRightsofMan
[4]PunjabClearsRighttoServiceAct,availableat:Hindu.com
(VisitedonAugust20,2023).