Karnataka government has decided to follow the footsteps of Bihar for implementing its Right to Public Service Act. Seven other states are also planning to implement the Bihar model of RTPS.
S Suresh Kumar, Karnataka’s Law and Urban Development Minister recently visited three blocks in Vaishali district and took details on the RTPS recently. Vaishali had topped in implementation of the RTPS successfully.
“We are visiting Bihar’s rural part to study and learn about RTPS and its successful implementation. The Bihar model would help us to ensure corruption free public services,” said Kumar.
He said that during his visit to Vaishali, he liked the ‘May I help You’ booth set up to help the people seeking public utility services within a particular time frame. He said that Karnataka has brought 152 public services from nearly a dozen departments under the ambit of the RTPS, and it would be implemented on a pilot basis in four blocks in the first phase of its implementation.
According to Kumar, in December last year, Karnataka had enacted such an act on the Bihar model of RTPS. Not only Karnataka, but seven other states are eager to adopt the Bihar model.
“I can say with confidence after studying the RTPS in Bihar that the state had paved the way for better implementation of the act across the country” he said.
Deepak Kumar, principal secretary, general administration department said that the act became effective in the state August 15 last year, and since then, nearly 8 million people have applied for certificates.
“Seven million applications received after the act came into force, were disposed of now” he said. He added that online monitoring is being done through SMS and phone tracking of the disposing of applications.
In December 2011, theRTPS Act in Bihar went online from Thursday, enabling people to file applications for caste, income and domicile certificates over the internet.