Latest news with #MaharashtraRighttoPublicServicesAct
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Most govt services online by I-Day in state; daily fines for defaulting depts
Nagpur: In a major push towards transparent and citizen-centric governance, the state govt has announced that most public services will be made available online by the upcoming Independence Day. This move comes under the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act , 2015, aimed at ensuring prompt, transparent, and accountable service delivery. Currently, 1,027 services across 33 govt departments are notified under the Act, out of which 583 services are already online. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed that the remaining services also be transitioned online by August 15, according to guardian minister and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Bawankule shared this update through a congratulatory message during the Right to Services Day celebrations held at Niyojan Bhavan in Nagpur. The event marked the 10th anniversary of the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act as this year it was officially declared that April 28 in Maharashtra will be observed as Right to Public Services Day. Bawankule emphasised the mandatory display of service details — including time limits, fees, designated officers, and appellate authorities — on notice boards at every govt office. Highlighting the role of technology, he noted that all services are accessible via the state govt's portal Aaple Sarkar, with around 40,000 Aaple Seva Kendras operating statewide. The govt also plans to double this number to further improve access. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo Meanwhile, at another state-level 'Decade of Implementation' event at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that govt departments that fail to implement online services by August 15 will face a fine of Rs1,000 per day for every pending service. Fadnavis also proposed including the Right to Public Services Act in the school syllabus to ensure students learn about citizen rights early. Highlighting the success of tech-driven governance, he said the face verification app has already halved the crowd at Mantralaya, showing how digital tools can ease citizens' lives. Fadnavis stressed that true governance is not just about creating laws but ensuring citizens feel the change in their daily lives. He said making all services accessible through WhatsApp and updating all information on official websites would drastically cut down complaints and make public service more efficient and transparent. Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde called the Act 'the Gangotri of democracy', emphasizing that it builds a bridge of trust between citizens and govt. Chief secretary Sujata Saunik announced a new partnership with Microsoft to accelerate Maharashtra's digital governance journey and ensure faster, transparent service delivery. Padma Shri awardee Shankar Mahadevan and actress Sonali Kulkarni were introduced as brand ambassadors to spread public awareness about service rights.
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
10 years after RTS Act, 43% of Maha govt services missing from digital portal
1 2 3 10x3 graphic ready by Shreyas: K:\Unused-Graphics - RTS Info 22 Apr Pune: Nearly 43% of notified services have remained offline or not been integrated with the state's digital platform, a decade after the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act promised transparent and timely delivery of govt services. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Officials revealed that of the 1,027 notified services, only 583 are currently available on the Aaple Sarkar portal — the state's integrated digital service platform. Taking its note, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to ensure that 138 non-integrated services from various departments are available on the Aaple Sarkar portal by May 31. The deadline to bring the remaining 306 notified services online is August 15. Administrative heads could face a penalty of Rs1,000 per day for delay in implementation of the directive. The landmark legislation will complete 10 years on April 28. Dilip Shinde, the Pune RTS commissioner, told TOI, "The effectiveness of the RTS (Right to Services) Act is directly tied to accessibility. When citizens have to navigate multiple platforms or physically visit offices for different services, we're not fulfilling the core promise of convenience, ease, timeliness and transparency." He said, "The vision was always to have a single-window system, where citizens could access any govt service without running from pillar to post, in a transparent and timely manner. Having nearly half of our services outside the integrated platform creates unnecessary complexity for citizens, already dealing with bureaucratic processes," Shinde said. Shinde emphasised that the fragmented nature of service delivery was contrary to the act's purpose: "When services are scattered across different departmental portals or remain offline, monitoring timelines of service delivery becomes difficult. The act empowers citizens to hold govt departments accountable, but this requires standardised and trackable processes." The Maharashtra Right to Public Service Act came into effect on April 28, 2015. It was designed to make administration more accountable, while empowering citizens. The act established a commission with powers to inspect public offices, recommend departmental inquiries against defaulting authorities and impose fines ranging from Rs500 to Rs5,000. "As we mark this decade milestone, we need to acknowledge both our achievements and shortcomings. Our digital infrastructure has grown tremendously, but the real measure of success is whether a farmer in remote Maharashtra can access and receive services as easily as someone in urban areas or not," Shinde said. "The next phase of RTS implementation must focus on complete digital integration. Citizens' expectations are evolving rapidly in the digital age. Multiple service portals or offline processes will be increasingly untenable. A truly effective RTS ecosystem requires a unified and seamless platform that citizens can navigate with ease," he said.
