Delhi government mulls system-driven auto-appeal mechanism under RTS Act

New Delhi: The Delhi government is examining the introduction of a system-driven Auto-Appeal Mechanism under the Delhi (Right of Citizens to Time-Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011, with Information Technology Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh chairing a high-level review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday.

The proposal aims to strengthen accountability in public service delivery by automatically triggering appeals if notified services are not delivered within the prescribed timelines. Currently, 537 services are covered under the Delhi RTS Act and monitored through the e-SLA portal. However, applicants must manually file an appeal in case of delays, and accountability is generally fixed after timelines are breached.

Officials said the proposed reform would enable automatic filing of appeals immediately after the expiry of the Service Level Agreement (SLA), without requiring any action from citizens.

The system would also ensure structured escalation to higher authorities, supported by real-time dashboards and transparent monitoring tools.

The initiative aligns with the Cabinet Secretariat’s Deregulation Exercise – Phase II, which encourages states to undertake procedural reforms to enhance ease of doing business and strengthen time-bound service delivery systems.

During the meeting, the Haryana Right to Service framework, particularly its Auto-Appeal System (AAS), was discussed as a reference model. The Haryana mechanism provides automatic escalation, defined penalty provisions and continuous digital tracking until resolution. The Minister directed officials to conduct a comprehensive study of best practices adopted by other states before finalising Delhi’s framework.

Necessary amendments to the Delhi RTS Act and its Rules, along with technical upgrades to the e-SLA portal for real-time integration across departments, were also deliberated. An indicative implementation timeline of around six months was discussed, subject to approvals.

“Our objective is to build a proactive and citizen-centric governance system where accountability is automatic and transparent. The Auto-Appeal Mechanism will ensure that delays are addressed by the system itself, without placing the burden on citizens. We will carefully study best practices from other States to develop a strong and sustainable framework for Delhi,”

Singh said.