Srinagar, July 26: In sequel to the enactment of Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) 2011, the State Government has issued notification under SRO 223 and 224 identifying the public services, designated officers, stipulated timeframe for providing the services, first appellate authority and second appellate authority besides notifying rules to make the Act operational with immediate effect.
The Jammu and Kashmir Public Services Guarantee Act was passed by the State Legislature during the last budget session and it provides for the delivery of public services to the people of the State within the specified time limit and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, explaining the objective of the Act, said that it aims at empowering general public to enforce upon the administration their right of receiving prompt delivery of public services on various fronts of day-to-day life importance. “This would also reduce the chances of corruption to a greater extent and make administration more responsive”, he added saying that the Act will also nurture good governance in the State.
“The Act provides for right to public service to every eligible person within the specified time limit in a transparent manner. An eligible person can demand performance of duties and functions in accordance with the Act. He is empowered under the Act to hold the concerned designated officer accountable for any service deficiency. He is also empowered to seek compensation with respect to non-providing of service or deficiency in service”, the Chief Minister elaborated. He asked the people to take best advantage of the Act and make administration quick to their service.
During his last Awami Mulaqat, the Chief Minister apprising the people of the importance of Public Services Guarantee Act said that Government would soon issue the notification to notify the services, designate officers and stipulated time frame for providing services; as such SROs were issued for the purpose.
The Act provides for imposing a fine of Rs. 250 to Rs. 5000 on such designated officer found responsible for not providing the service to the eligible persons within the stipulated time frame or has caused delay in providing the services or has provided service which is deficient in any manner.
The Act also provides for imposing a fine of Rs. 500 to Rs. 5000 on first appellate authority for failing to decide the appeal within the stipulated time frame. The Act also provides for paying the portion of fine as compensation to the affected eligible person.
According to the SRO 224 the issuance of ration cards, surrender certificate/duplicate ration cards, inclusion of new born child in the ration card and transfer/shifting from one Fair Price shop to another have been identified as public services under the PSGA in CAPD Department. The designated officer will be Tehsil Supply Officer in rural areas and Assistant Director CAPD in urban areas. The time specified is 30 days subject to condition that new ration cards will be issued only after Government of India allocates food grains as per population of the State. The First Appellate Authority will be Deputy Director (Food), CAPD and Second Appellate Authority will be Director (Food), CAPD.
In the Power Development Department, the domestic electricity connections with load of 10 KV, 20 KV and 30 KV have been identified as public services and the designate officer are Assistant Engineer (Electrical), the time frame fixed is 30 days, the first appellate authority will be Executive Engineer, and the second appellate authority will be Superintending Engineer.
For 20 KV load Executive Engineer is the designated officer, 35 days is the time frame fixed and Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer (Electrical) will be first and second appellate authorities. For 30 KV load Superintending Engineer is the designated officer, 40 days the time frame and the Chief Engineer (Electrical) and Development Commissioner Power are the first and second appellate authorities.
For the electric connection domestic all loads above 30 KV, Chief Engineer (Electrical) will be the designated officer, the time frame is 45 days and the first and the second appellate authorities are Development Commissioner, Power, and Divisional Commissioner concerned. Similarly, electric connections commercial, from 5 to 200 KVA/HP have been identified as public services under the Act.
In Public Health Engineering Department, sanction for domestic water and actual domestic water connection supply have been identified as public services. Executive Engineer PHE concerned as designate officer, 15 days and 30 days respectively fixed for providing the service while Superintending Engineer PHE is the first appellate authority and Deputy Commissioner concerned the second appellate authority.
Issuance of State Subject, reserved category certificates, dependent certificates, extract of fard intikhab, extract of Girdawari, extract of aks masavi/latha, extract of jamabandi, attestation of mutation, inheritance mutation, copy of mutation, demarcation of land, extract of tatima shajra, extract of Chulah and chowkidara and income certificate have been identified as public services under the Act. The fixed time frame for fard intikhab, girdawari, aks masavi and jamabandi has been fixed 10 days and the designated officer is Naib Tasildar while the time frame for reserved category certificates is 15 days and for other services 30 days.
In the Transport sector, issuance of learners driving license, driving license, registration of vehicles are the services identified and the time frame fixed for learners driving license is 15 days and for the rest 30 days. The designated officer is RTO/ARTO concerned and first and second appellate authorities are Deputy Commissioner concerned and Transport Commissioner J&K.
In the Housing and Urban Development Department issuance of birth/death certificate, NOC for construction of house from Jammu/Srinagar Development Authorities, NOC from Town Planning Organization, Power Development Department, PHE, Nazool, building permission by Municipal Corporations Srinagar and Jammu and by concerned Municipal Councils and Committees are identified as public services under the Act. Thirty days have been fixed as the time frame while Registrar/Health Officer, Secretary Srinagar/Jammu Development Authority, Chief Town Planner, Executive Engineer concerned, Tehsildar Nazool, concerned Joint Commissioners (Adm)/Planning of Municipal Corporations and Executive Officer concerned of Municipal Councils/Committees are designated officers respectively.
The SRO 223 deals with the rules framed under the Act for making it functional and operational.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 26 Jul 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 27 Jul 2011 00:00:00 IST