The UPA government’s decision to approve the right of citizens for ‘the time-bound delivery of goods and services and redressal of their grievances bill, 2011’ is set to witness major upheavals in the system of governance. The states will toe the line once the bill becomes a law. Effectively, the state of Maharashtra will have no option but to amend its existing Maharashtra Government Servants’ Regulation of Transfers and Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act, 2005.

Whether the state repeals the act or amends it by continuing the provisions of regulation of the transfers of government employees will be an interesting development to see. The central bill emphasises on timely delivery of services to people by various government departments. Babus will have to shell out Rs 250 per day or a maximum of Rs 50,000 as penalty for defaulting in providing time-bound services such as pensions, passports, ration cards, caste or death certificates, tax refunds etc.