No more endless wait to get your ration card, driving license or other government services in the city as babus will now have to pay financial penalty if they fail to deliver them within stipulated time-frame.

The Delhi Government has notified the Delhi Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services Act under which officials in several departments will have to pay financial penalty to citizens if they fail to deliver services in a time-bound manner.

The legislation, adopted by Delhi Assembly in March, fixes financial penalty in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 200 a day for failing to deliver the services while making it a right of every citizen to obtain time-bound delivery of services from certain government agencies.

The departments which have been included under the legislation are Revenue, Food and Civil Supplies, Transport and Trade and Taxes as well as civic agencies MCD and NDMC.

According to the legislation, a maximum penalty of Rs 5,000 can be imposed on officials for failing to deliver services. For deciding financial penalty, the legislation also provides for setting up “competent authority.”

The legislation says for issuance of ration cards, it should not take more than 45 days while MCD and NDMC should not take more than seven working days for issuance of registration of birth and registration of death certificates.

The Transport Department should not take more than one day to renew permanent driving license while learner's driving license should be issued on the day of filing the application.

The legislation basically aims at sensitising the government servants towards the citizens and to enhance and imbibe a culture to deliver services within a stipulated period.

“The legislation came into force after issuance of a notification by the government last week,” said a senior official.

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