Maharashtra: Poor Performance of Administration in Providing 166 out of 511 Services
Mumbai, 24th April 2023: Report from State Public Service Rights Commission reveals poor performance of the administration in providing 166 out of 511 services. Despite the government’s intention to provide fast and transparent services to citizens, delays have been faced by the people of the state. The State Public Service Rights Act-2015 was created to provide citizens with the right to complain to the Service Rights Commission if the service is not provided within the prescribed time.
The services of various government departments were notified under this act, and currently, 511 services are registered. The State Public Service Rights Commission has categorized services into green, amber, and red. The green category represents the best service-providing government department, with 97 services, while the red category represents the poorest performing, with 166 services. These services were not provided in a digital format, and the administration’s performance in providing them has been poor.
The Agriculture, Registration and Stamp Duty Department, Transport, Animal Husbandry, Forestry, MHADA, Soil and Water Conservation, Public Health, Fisheries Business, Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Medical Education and Medicines, and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship departments have performed poorly in providing services.
Commissioner Dilip Shinde reported that 3,549 cases came to the commission, with 944 appeals settled, and 2,605 appeals being heard. In 15 appeals, fines ranging from Rs 1,000-5,000 have been imposed on officers-employees of the commission.
Currently, 387 services are available online, with online services being provided through the government portal, mobile app, and 35,488 service centers. Five states, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal have established separate commissions to implement the Right to Service Act.
Former Chief Commissioner of the State Service Rights Commission, Swadhin Kshatriya, advised that the administration should aim to move from the ‘red’ category to the higher category and alert citizens about the services and preparation made for the same.
