MP officers to pay for delay in applications

Babus in Madhya Pradesh will have to pull up their socks or pay a fine every time they delay an application.

Setting a precedent to all states, the Madhya Pradesh assembly unanimously has passed the Public Service Guarantee Bill, 2010, that will penalise officers who delay the processing of applications in the state beyond a deadline and will this ensure timely services to citizens.

Officers from the MP government will have to process and provide birth/death certificates, copies of land records to the applicants within a time limit or pay a fine Rs 250 to Rs 5,000 per day depending on the case.

The state will pass on the fine amount to the applicant. In case the applicant is not satisfied with the compensation offered by the first appellate authority, he or she can approach the second appellate officer, who can impose a higher fine and also take action against the officer concerned.

Chief Minister Shiv Raj Singh Chouhan said the Madhya Pradesh government was striving hard to give good governance, adding that it was continuously working for the poorest of the poor.