Anna effect: Orissa government plans citizens,service charters

A brief discussion has already taken place at the highest bureaucratic level over the past few days and,if the concept note is anything to go by,people can get routine government services within stipulated times. It is not yet clear if officials would be penalised for delay in service delivery,but people would be entitled to apology,explanation and remedial action if the promised standard of service is not delivered. A senior bureaucrat said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is very keen on the charters becoming reality at the earliest.

According to the concept note,the citizens charter and service charter would ensure that people receive the services economically and efficiently.

Besides they have to be consulted about quality of service. People must be made aware of what to expect in terms of level and quality of services, it says while stressing on the value of courtesy by officials.

The implementation of citizens charter would be monitored publicly and public service cards published to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. The civil society would be involved in the processing and tracking disposal of grievances.

Incidentally,the government seems to have taken note of its massive failures in the CMs online grievance cell,which has not worked as well as it was planned. The e-mail ID given on the site was wrong and the complainants were often clueless as to what action is being taken on their grievance.

The new service charter would have an online Public Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System to facilitate lodging of complaints and monitor the progress of their grievances.

The government is also planning an independent authority either an Ombudsman to oversee redressal of grievances or a Public Grievances Commission that would oversee the action on redressal of the grievances.