Punjab Governance Reforms Commission (PGRC) presented the state’s governance reforms model to a battery of senior officials of the Haryana government. Haryana chief secretary DS Dhesi led the team.
PGRC chairman Dr Pramod Kumar told the officers that there was an urgent need to reform the governance processes to meet the deficits of trust, dignity, productivity and citizen engagement.
“After six decades of Independence there is mistrust between the citizens and the state, even to procure ration card, electricity, sewerage, water connection, birth and death certificates, admission to educational institutions – affidavit by the gazetted officer, public notary or magistrate is to be given,” said Kumar adding that the Punjab government had already exempted people from filling affidavits in 2010, except in cases mandatory by law.
Punjab chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal presented a unified civic delivery of services model and said that 2,174 Sewa Kendras would open both in urban and rural areas. These centres, according to him, are unique as they will break the urban-rural differences and give equitable access to services to all. “A unified complaint redressal system rather than multiple complaint redressal centres will be set up,” said Kaushal.
DGP (community policing) SK Sharma gave a detailed presentation on engaged governance through community-policing system. “An institutionalised system of governance has been evolved to engage people with the system in a productive manner. The Punjab Right to Services Act, 2011, was introduced to make citizens’ interaction with the government dignified with their claims to be considered as a matter of right,” he informed the officers form Haryana.
{{/usCountry}}DGP (community policing) SK Sharma gave a detailed presentation on engaged governance through community-policing system. “An institutionalised system of governance has been evolved to engage people with the system in a productive manner. The Punjab Right to Services Act, 2011, was introduced to make citizens’ interaction with the government dignified with their claims to be considered as a matter of right,” he informed the officers form Haryana.
{{/usCountry}}“We have put the Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion in place to promote the ease of doing business,” Kumar said.