BJP government has promised to set up Citizen charter for all the panchayats in its manifesto.
About Citizen Charters:
The Citizens' Charters idea is a response to the desire for solutions to the challenges that a citizen experiences on a daily basis when engaging with government agencies.
Citizens' Charter is a concept that enshrines the relationship of trust between the service provider and its users.
In 1991, the concept was initially defined and put into practise in the United Kingdom.
Principles of Citizen Charters:
Quality: Improving the quality of services.
Choice : Wherever possible.
Standards :Specify what to expect and how to act if standards are not met.
Value: For the taxpayers money.
Accountability : Individuals and Organisations.
Transparency.
Importance of Citizen Charters:
To make government more accountable and accessible to citizens.
To ensure transparency in transactions.
To improve customer service by making government responsive.
To take a stakeholder-oriented strategy.
Both the administration and the citizens' time will be saved.
Problems in Citizen Charters:
One size fits all: There is a tendency for all offices under the parent organisation to have a uniform CC. All Ministries and Departments have yet to implement CC. This ignores local concerns.
Operations in silos: In the vast majority of cases, there are no participatory processes in place, and it was not developed through a consultation process with cutting-edge personnel who will eventually implement it.
Non-Dynamic: Because charters are rarely revised, they are a one-time exercise that is frozen in time.
Poor design and content: a lack of meaningful and succinct CC, as well as important information that end-users require in order to hold agencies accountable.
Lack of public awareness: Because adequate attempts to communicate and educate the public about the standards of delivery guarantee have not been done, only a tiny fraction of end-users are aware of the commitments made in the CC.
End-users, civil society organisations, and non-governmental organisations are not consulted when CCs are drafted. Consultation with stakeholders is essential because the major goal of a CC is to make public service delivery more citizen-centric.
Lack of Measurable parameters: Measurable delivery standards are rarely stated, making it impossible to determine whether or not the intended level of service has been met.
Poor adherence: Organizations have demonstrated little interest in adhering to their CCs, owing to the lack of a citizen-friendly method to pay citizens if the organisation fails.
Way Forward:
Wide-ranging consultations: CC will be formulated following broad internal consultations and a genuine collaboration with civil society.
Process of participation: Include civil society in the process: to aid in the enhancement of the Charter's content, adherence, and citizen education on the relevance of this critical mechanism.
Solid pledges must be made: Wherever possible, CC must be precise and make firm commitments to citizens/consumers on service delivery standards in quantifiable ways.
Penal Provisions: In the event of a default, clearly state the remedy that the organisation is obligated to provide if it fails to meet the agreed delivery criteria.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to CC formulation: it should be a decentralised process.
