Right to Time-Bound Delivery Service

Swagata Raha
(2012)

In 2010, the Government of Madhya Pradesh passed the Public Service Guarantee Act or Lok Sewaon Ke Pradan Ki Guarantee Adhiniyam. In 2011,eight more States enacted similar legislation guaranteeing citizens the right to public services within a stipulated time frame.Similar legislation is on the anvil in at least eight other states. At the national level, the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances has circulated a Draft Citizens Right to Grievance Redress Bill, 2011, for comments and suggestions.These Acts come in the wake of a widespread recognition that public services in India are failing.By clearly articulating citizen entitlements and building internal checks and balances through effective grievance redressal mechanisms, they represent an effort by State governments to build a newmodel to address service – delivery failures.

This brief offers a short summary of the key provisions of these Acts across different states.