New Bill to guarantee government services

BANGALORE: The state government on Monday tabled a Bill that provides guarantee of government services to citizens within a stipulated time limit.Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar tabled the Bill which provides a two-tier appeal for aggrieved persons to a competent officer and the appellate authority.According to the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Bill-2011, citizens shall be entitled to seek compensatory cost in case of delay or default in delivery of services beyond the stipulated time. Every designated officer or his subordinate public servant who fails to deliver services within the time shall be liable to pay compensatory cost at the rate of Rs 20 per day for the period of delay, subject to a maximum of Rs 500 per application, in aggregate, if there is no ban or restriction from the government.Within a period of 15 days of payment of compensatory cost, the competent officer after conducting a preliminary inquiry, shall issue a notice against the public servant responsible for the delay, seeking an explanation.The public servant against whom such notice is issued may represent within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of such notice. If no such representation is received by the competent officer in the prescribed period, if any, is not found satisfactory, the officer shall be entitled to issue debit note directing such defaulting public servant to either deposit the cost in the debit note or directing the accounts officer concerned to debit the salary of the public servant.