Rs 10K fine proposed against dereliction of duty under Right to Public Service Act, 2013

Kolkata: The state may slap penalty on state government officials for dereliction of duty when it comes to rendering services to the common people under West Bengal Right to Public Services Act 2013. The penalty may go up to the tune of Rs 10000.

The draft proposal for amendment in the Act for inclusion of this provision has been submitted to Nabanna for due approval.

The Act was formulated in the year 2013 to provide for the delivery of public services to the people of the state within the stipulated time limit and for matters connected

therewith.

Majority of the government departments that are associated with public service came under its provision which included ration card, driving license, birth and death certificate, land mutation and other similar services. The municipalities and the Gram Panchayats have also come under this service.

Every such service has a time limit and if it is not available in the specified time then complaint can be lodged with the designated official as per provisions of the Act.

If a person feels that justice has been denied even after complaint to the concerned official he/she can move the second appeal to another senior official.

Presently, if negligence in duty is found then there is provision of imposing a fine of Rs 1000 in the Act .

According to sources, the Right to Public Services Commission has sent a draft to the Law department proposing two amendments in the Act.

The first one is to enhance the penalty provisions to Rs 10000 and secondly to allow the Commission to interfere and take steps accordingly during the second time if a person feels that service has been denied.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will give the final approval in this regard.