15-digit number to help track RTS application status

The pilot project under Right to Services Act to be launched in four taluks on March 1

Citizens who enrol for the State government’s Right to Services (RTS) initiative will get a unique acknowledgement number for every application they submit.

Using the 15-digit number, coded to denote the district, block, department and service under which an application has been submitted, citizens can not only track the status of their applications online, but also get SMS alerts as soon as their files are processed.

The Karnataka Guarantee Of Services to Citizens’ Act, 2011, passed by the State legislature in December last, seeks to provide time-bound delivery of 151 services across 11 departments. 

The pilot project, which will hold public servants accountable for delay in providing services, is scheduled to be launched on March 1 in one taluk each in Bidar, Chitradurga, Dharwad and Udupi districts. 

Notified

The draft rules under the Act were notified by the Department of Public Administration and Reforms (DPAR) on February 14.

According to the rules, the designated officer will have to give an acknowledgement slip on receiving each application. 

The slip should have the name of the applicant with address, date of application, acknowledgement number, name of the designated officer with designation and address, details of services sought and proposed date of delivery of services.

“Once a citizen files an application for a particular service coming under the schedule of the Act, he or she will be provided a digit number. They can track the status of applications online. They will also get an SMS alert as soon as their application is processed. A dedicated call centre will also be set up to reply to people’s queries on Right to Services.

They can get an update of the status of the applications by dialling the call centre,” Secretary, DPAR (Administrative Reforms), Shalini Rajneesh told Deccan Herald.

Mandatory display

The URL of the website to track the status of applications and the telephone number of the call centre will be announced shortly.

The rules make it mandatory that all information regarding the services provided by a particular office will have to be displayed on the notice board.

The services specified under the Act include birth and death certificates, income, caste certificates, registration of khatas and properties, learning and driving licences, permission for new water connections, sanction of building plan on sites measuring up to 2,400 square feet for residential dwellings, record of rights certificates and conversion of agriculture land for non-agricultural purpose.

Providing photocopies of answer scripts of II PU exams, retotalling and revaluation of II PU and SSLC answer scripts, issue of disability certificates and issue of senior citizen identity cards are among the other services specified in the Act.

The Act provides for payment of compensation at the rate of Rs 20 per day by the designated officer or his subordinate public servant who fails to deliver services in the stipulated time to an applicant.

The department-wise training programmes for officials in implementing the right to services initiative have already commenced.