In a major administrative reform, the Punjab government today enacted a comprehensive ‘Right to Service Act' aimed at providing citizen services to people as a right.

“With this, citizen will emerge as the king,” the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, told reporters after a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal.

He said it was a major stride for the State as far as implementation of administrative reforms was concerned. The Act will ensure timely delivery of services to citizens and the person responsible for any delay will face penalty from Rs 500 to 5000, he said.

“Common man in the State has to tackle many problems to get their government-related works done... There are procedural delays and harassment, but now the State has become the first in the country to provide 67 services in a stipulated time period (one to 60 days),” Mr Badal said.

“The Act will be notified within the next 20 days and by July it will be implemented,” he added.

The services covered under the Act include certified copies of all documents at village-level – record of land rights ( jamabandi ), girdawri , mutation, demarcation of land, sanction of water supply/sewerage connection, certified copies of birth/death certificates, registration certificate of vehicles, fitness certificate for commercial vehicle, issue of driving licence and renewal of arms licence, among others.

All kinds of police verifications, including passport verification, issue of various certificates such as caste, OBC, income, residence, registration of all kinds of documents, sanction of all social security benefits for old age/ handicapped/ widow would also come under its purview, he said.

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