Government Prepared Draft Bill on Citizens’ Right to Grievance Redress

The government prepared a draft  of Citizens Right to Grievance Redress Bill 2011 in the first week of November 2011. The bill aims at creating institutionalize mechanism to ensure delivery of public services in a time bound manner and redressal of public grievances.
 
Key recommendations in the Draft Bill are:
 
• There will be a Citizens Charter, and a protocol will be put in place.
• Bill can be enacted as a central legislation under the concurrent list Item 8 (actionable wrongs) and can cover Central Schemes and Central Government Departments.
• Provide a Platform to States to make this a Grievance Redressal Mechanism for State Schemes and Departments
• Bill will incorporate the institution of Information and Facilitation Centre in all public authorities to ensure that Citizens can be facilitated and grievances are systematically recorded and tracked using telephone, sms, web etc.
• First level Redress should be within concerned department as proposed. This should be done through a Grievance Redress Officer in each department
• The second level redress/ appeal will be at the level of Head of the Department of the public authority.
• State Grievance Commissions should be set up as second level appellate authorities.