STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Friday launched the PSGA auto-appeal feature for 06 more online services offered by the Housing& Urban Development Department. The feature is going to auto escalate the appeals in case the services are not provided to the applicant within the time limit set under the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA).
Dr Mehta complimented the IT Department for integrating the feature in the vital digital services offered by the Housing Department to the citizens. He directed for integrating this Auto-appeal feature for all the designated 43 online services by next month. He also advised them to work for activating this feature for all the 105 services specified under the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) at the earliest.
The Chief Secretary stated that these services form the bulk of the applications of citizens made in the department. He said that the auto-appeal feature for services related to everyday life of the people like birth and death certificates are critical for enhancing ease of living.
He emphasized that benefits like old age and widow pension, scholarships under various social security schemes etc should also be included in the system without any delay.
He observed that this feature would act as a turning point in maintaining transparency and accountability in services to the public and eradicating corruption. He stated that auto escalation feature of online services is going to put an end to malpractices besides promoting fairness, a priority set by the current dispensation in all its affairs including offering of government employment and public contracts to its citizens on the basis of merit alone.
On the occasion it was brought out that the delivery of services through online mode has greatly reduced the waiting period for processing of applications. It was revealed that the bulk of applications in the Revenue Department pertain to such applications and it is going to benefit a large number of people.
It was also apprised that the feature like auto-appeal is going to bring a greater transparency in these services in future as these would ensure their delivery as per the timeframe set for them under PSGA and fixing of responsibility on part of any officer/official for any undue delay. The Services which were today brought under the Auto-appeal system includes Non-Availability Certificate of Birth Record, Issuance of Birth certificate and inclusion of child name in existing record, correction in existing birth record, Issuance of Death Certificate, Non-Availability Certificate of Death Record and Correction in existing Death Record. Those who were present includes Principal Secretary, H&UDD; Commissioner Secretary, IT; Secretary, GAD; SIO, NIC; Scientists from the IT Department besides other concerned officers of these Departments.