PUNE: Maharashtra chief secretary Manoj Saunik on Monday told all departments to integrate mandatory services under the Right to Services (RTS) Act with the Aaple Sarkar portal by June 30 for the convenience of citizens.
At least 57 mandatory services were offline and not integrated with the Aaple Sarkar portal.
The chief secretary’s direction followed a review meeting with various department heads over rising complaints of RTS not being implemented by various departments. “Secretaries of all departments have been told to give highest priority to digitization and bring all the mandatory services on the portal,” he told TOI after the meeting.
He said timelines have been set up for different categories, but the essential services would be the first to be integrated. For other services that are not mandatory but are notified under the RTS Act, they would have to be integrated by August 15, Saunik said.
Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras are centres providing online services to the public.
RTS commissioners appointed for different divisions said citizens had complained about overcharging and even expressed wish to reach out to the state government regarding the complaints. Applications for documents like domicile certificates that were to be charged at Rs 34 were being charged Rs 5,000, citizens had complained.
The CAG report released in March had already stated that half of the Aaple Sarkar Seva centres were not providing the notified services. It noted that the performance on the delivery of timely services was not satisfactory.
The report was based on the delivery of services under the RTS Act from 2015 till 2021.It stated that the online portal lacked proper documentation and monitoring of delivery of services was inadequate because of a shortfall in inspection offices. It mentioned that 27% of the municipal councils and 35% of gram panchayats in the state did not have any centres to serve the citizens.
Five departments’ proposal nixed
Chief secretary Manoj Saunik on Monday said proposal of five departments to denotify 21 services was not allowed and they have been told to renotify the services by June 30.
“These five departments had proposed the denotification of 21 services. Their proposal was not accepted and we have directed them to notify the services again,” the chief secretary said.
At least 57 mandatory services were offline and not integrated with the Aaple Sarkar portal.
The chief secretary’s direction followed a review meeting with various department heads over rising complaints of RTS not being implemented by various departments. “Secretaries of all departments have been told to give highest priority to digitization and bring all the mandatory services on the portal,” he told TOI after the meeting.
He said timelines have been set up for different categories, but the essential services would be the first to be integrated. For other services that are not mandatory but are notified under the RTS Act, they would have to be integrated by August 15, Saunik said.
Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendras are centres providing online services to the public.
RTS commissioners appointed for different divisions said citizens had complained about overcharging and even expressed wish to reach out to the state government regarding the complaints. Applications for documents like domicile certificates that were to be charged at Rs 34 were being charged Rs 5,000, citizens had complained.
The CAG report released in March had already stated that half of the Aaple Sarkar Seva centres were not providing the notified services. It noted that the performance on the delivery of timely services was not satisfactory.
The report was based on the delivery of services under the RTS Act from 2015 till 2021.It stated that the online portal lacked proper documentation and monitoring of delivery of services was inadequate because of a shortfall in inspection offices. It mentioned that 27% of the municipal councils and 35% of gram panchayats in the state did not have any centres to serve the citizens.
Five departments’ proposal nixed
Chief secretary Manoj Saunik on Monday said proposal of five departments to denotify 21 services was not allowed and they have been told to renotify the services by June 30.
“These five departments had proposed the denotification of 21 services. Their proposal was not accepted and we have directed them to notify the services again,” the chief secretary said.
