Patna: Bihar Assembly on Monday unanimously
passed the Right to Public Services Bill 2011, seeking to
weed out corruption from utility services being provided to
the public.
State Energy Minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav introduced
the Bill, in keeping with the promises made by Chief Minister
Nitish Kumar in this regard.
The House later adopted the Bill unanimously without any
debate.
After introduction of the Bill, Kumar said the new
legislation would ensure delivery of public utility services
like issuing of caste, income and character certificates
as well as driving licences in a time-bound manner.
"It will help uproot corruption in providing public
utility services," he claimed, adding it was yet another
revolutionary step taken by his government to check
corruption.
He hoped that the new law would be notified and come
into effect from August 15, 2011 after completing all the
related formalities.
"The law will also fix the responsibilities of the
officials in discharge of their services for its appropriate
implementation," Kumar said, adding online monitoring of the
applications and their disposal process would be made and it
would strengthen the people`s trust in democracy.
The House also passed by voice vote Bihar Administrative
Tribunal Bill, 2011 seeking to set up a tribunal on the
pattern of CAT for redressal of grievances and problems of the
members of the State Administrative Services.
The state Assembly also unanimously adopted the Criminal
Procedure Code (Bihar Amendment) Bill 2011 seeking to make
Section 353 of the code "bailable instead of non-bailable."
"Demonstration and protests are democratic right of
people which strengthens democracy... making the section
non-bailable is not justified," the chief minister said.
He said his government would soon forward the Bill for
the Centre`s assent for effecting suitable amendment to treat
the offence as bailable.
Kumar said all the political parties should support
the step and the section be made bailable all over India.
PTI
