Citizens Unaware of 89 Services Under Service Guarantee Act: PMC Launches Awareness Drive
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to enhance its service delivery under the Maharashtra Public Service Rights Act, 2015, ensuring that the services offered to citizens are provided within the stipulated time frame.
Despite offering 89 types of services under the Service Guarantee Act, it has come to the administration’s notice that citizens lack awareness of their rights to access these services, leading to underutilization.
In a recent meeting, Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P. emphasized the need for effective implementation of the Service Guarantee Act and discussed measures to raise public awareness.
The PMC provides a variety of essential services, including health certificates, no-objection certificates (NOCs) from the fire department, water connections, relocation of water pipelines, construction permits, advertisement board permissions, and resolution of property tax complaints.
The state government has also directed the inclusion of 67 additional services to the list of 89 currently available services.
The Maharashtra Public Service Rights Act, in effect since April 2015, aims to make government services more transparent and time-bound. The State Service Rights Commission, which consists of a Chief Commissioner and six other commissioners, is responsible for monitoring the delivery of these services and ensuring compliance. Officials who fail to adhere to the law may face punitive action.
The Pune Municipal Corporation is also working on digitizing the services that are currently available offline, with plans to make them accessible online to streamline the process for citizens.
Additionally, PMC is updating its official website to make it more user-friendly. Currently, the website is heavily focused on administrative information, making it difficult for citizens to navigate.
The upgraded website will prioritize easy access to services, and the entire project is expected to cost approximately ₹2.25 crore.
Prithviraj B.P. explained that tenders have been initiated for the website upgrade, which will allow citizens to find the necessary services and departments more efficiently.
With a focus on transparency and convenience, these changes are expected to significantly improve service delivery within the Pune Municipal Corporation
