‘Breach of timelines in service delivery of these 103 services to attract penalty’
Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta Wednesday launched the PSGA auto-appeal system for 103 services offered by different government departments through eUnnat dashboard in presence of Commissioner Secretary GAD, Sanjeev Verma; Commissioner Secretary IT, Prerna Puri and Secretary Revenue, Piyush Singla.
The system shall trigger appeal to appellate authorities once the time lines specified under the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) for availing these services are breached for any of them.
Dr Mehta complimented the IT Department for integrating the feature in the vital digital services offered by these Departments to the citizens. He observed that this feature is going to act as a turning point in maintaining transparency and accountability in delivery of services to the public and eradicating corruption.
He maintained that the auto escalation feature of online services is going to put an end to malpractices besides promoting fairness, a priority set by the current dispensation in all its affairs. He reiterated that it would ensure prevalence of discipline on part of both public servants and applicants itself. He made out that any sort of indiscipline or breach of timelines in providing the services would attract a penalty as per the PSGA.
It was given out that the majority of services belong to Departments providing important day to day services to the public and constitutes the bulk of G2C services provided here. These includes 25 services of Revenue Department, 26 of Industries & Commerce, 19 of H&UDD, 4 of Social Welfare, 5 of Horticulture, 6 each of Forest and Labour & Employment Departments, 2 each of FCS&CA and Home Departments, 3 of Jal Shakti and 1 of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department.
On the occasion it was brought out that the delivery of services through online mode has greatly reduced the waiting period for processing of applications. It was revealed that the bulk of applications in the Revenue, Social Welfare and Housing Departments pertain to such applications and it is going to benefit a large number of people on a daily basis.
Some of the significant services brought under the Auto-appeal system are Issuance of Category Certificates by Tehsildar. It also includes Income, Property, Character, Legal Heir Certificates as well. Moreover attestation of Mutations, acquiring of Fard and Revenue Extracts from the Tehsil Offices across J&K too had been brought under this appellate system.
In addition the services like Issuance of Job Card under MGNREGA, obtaining of Water Connection from Jal Shakti, obtaining of marriage assistance, financial assistance under LadliBeti or Pensions from the Social Welfare Department, obtaining of Birth Certificate, Death certificate, Street Vending (Rehri) Licence from H&UDD, obtaining of Credit Cards by Artisans, Weavers from the Industries and Commerce Department too form part of the Auto-appeal system launched today by the Chief Secretary here.
Those who were present on this occasion includes senior officers of the IT and Scientists from NIC who worked in collaboration with each other to culminate this project in a given deadline.