Have citizens' charter or face music, state govt tells civic bodies

Call it the Anna Hazare effect or the answer to the criticism of the inefficient administration, the state government has recently directed all municipal bodies to follow the Citizens’ Charter or face the music.

In the notification, issued after the amendment in the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation and Municipal Corporation Act last month, the government has directed all corporations and councils to form their own charter for speedy disposal of files and efficient services to the people.

The civic bodies also have been asked to stipulate the period in which a file is expected to be disposed.

The state has also empowered municipal commissioners to grant sanction for the penal action against any civic officials or employees who fail to adhere to deadlines.

The notification also directs the civic bodies to dispose a file in seven working days and in the case of emergency, even less time. If files have to be sent to other departments, they have to be ready between 45 and 60 days, the notification said.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had recently admitted that the citizens’ charter was not being implemented in the state.

The notification now has made it mandatory to the municipal corporations and councils to have the effective implementation through the charters.