The Punjab assembly paved the way for citizens to get a right to government services by unanimously passing the Right to Services Bill, 2011, aimed at ensuring time-bound delivery of 67 citizen services.
The bill came up for a lively debate with a few Congress MLAs, including Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Sunil Jakhar and independent MLA Charanjit Channi, voicing doubts if the Act will actually be implemented in letter and spirit. "The basic purpose of the Act is to make the bureaucracy accountable. We are only trying to cure the symptoms, but not looking at the malady," said Jakhar.
Talking about the bill, its chief architect, Sukhbir Badal, said in the House, "It's an attempt to change the system which breeds corruption. We are trying to minimize the point of interaction of common man with officials so that corruption decreases." Allaying apprehensions of Opposition parties, Badal said that chairman of the commission, set up for Right to Services Bill, would be appointed in consultation with the leader of Opposition and the commission would be an independent statutory body that can initiate complaints even suo motu.
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