PESHAWAR: The provincial government is planning to expand the scope of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Public Services Act, 2014 to ensure prompt delivery of facilities to the people.

“We’ve held several meetings to discuss inclusion of health and municipal facilities and issuance of arms and driving licences in the right to public services law besides the five already notified services. Designated officials will be bound by law to deliver the said services to the people in a specific period,” chief commissioner of the Right to Public Services Commission Azmat Hanif Orakzai told reporters here on Friday.

The commissioner said he had already held a meeting with the officials of health department on the matter and intended to hold another meeting with the local government secretary next week. He said the right to public services law was enacted in Jan 2014 to ensure delivery of public services to the people within the specified time.

“Under Section 4 of the Act, the government is empowered to specify any service as public service and also specify time limit within which such services should be provided by a designated officer to the eligible person,” he said.

Officials bound to deliver facilities to people in specific period under the law

Orakzai said initially, five services were notified as public services and time limits were given for their deliverance.

He said for preparation of domicile certificate, the designated officer was the additional deputy commissioner and that the time limit was 10 days.

The commissioner said the relevant SHO would be responsible for registration of FIR or daily diary forthwith; birth and death certificates should be issued within two days; building plans (residential) should be approved within 30 days by the assistant municipal officer, and a fard (document carrying land ownership details) should be issued by a patwari with in seven days.

Orakzai said under the law, in case the designated official failed to deliver services in specified time the aggrieved persons could file appeal before appellate authority, which had to decide the appeal within 30 days.

“The final authority under the law is the right to public services commission which is empowered to hear appeals against orders of the appellate authority,” he said.

The commissioner said if the designated officer failed to provide the required services within the stipulated time, a fine of Rs500 to Rs2,500 could be imposed by the appellate authority.

He said the RTS Commission could also impose a penalty of Rs1,000 to Rs25,000 on the appellate authority if it failed to decide an appeal within the prescribed time and that the commissioner could also recommend disciplinary action against defaulting civil servants.

Orakzai said the three-member commission had the powers of a civil court and it could summon and enforce the attendance of any person; requisition any public record, and issue commission for examination of witnesses.

He said he personally believed that the time limit of 30 days provided to the appellate authority to decide an appeal and similar duration given to the RTS Commission was excessive and should be reduced. “With the passage of time, amendments will be made to the law to remove loopholes,” he said.

The commissioner called for better public awareness of the law and said in next couple of days, the commission would begin an awareness campaign involving media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

He said currently, internees had been appointed in 15 districts of the province with the duty to monitor the performance of different departments under the law.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2014