Govt readies draft law to cut red tape

Ruchika M Khanna

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 5

The Congress government is all set to bring in “The Punjab Anti-Red Tape Act, 2018”, which aims at providing services to people within a stipulated time frame. This is for the first time that a law to curb red tape in governance has been drafted.

The act provides for the suspension of officials who fail to deliver a service to citizens; binds government departments to deliver any service asked for by a citizen within seven to 15 days; and recommends that touts/middlemen be fined anything between Rs 50,000 and Rs 2 lakh. It will be presented in the next Cabinet meeting for discussion and approval. The draft has been prepared after consulting top bureaucrats and advisers.

However, the move is being criticised by a section of officers in the corridors of power. The draft calls for suspension of officer denying a service to any citizen and dismissal if found conniving with touts/middlemen. This provision is not finding favour with a section of top officers in the government. Another key feature of the Act is the deemed extension of permits and licences in case the government department issuing these fails to act on the application for extension within the stipulated time frame.

“The idea is to promote integrity and accountability and establish effective practices aimed at preventing corruption. At the same time, we want to promote transparency in the manner the government interacts with the public,” said a top government functionary.