RTS Act’s effective implementation sought

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Public Services (RPS) Act 2014 is a hope for quality service delivery in the province.

Speaking at a daylong training, the facilitator, Salma, said the Right to Public Services Act was enacted in KP in January 2014 to ensure delivery of public services to the citizens within the stipulated time. “The aim of the law is to bring improvement in public service delivery by ensuring transparency accountability and good governance in the functioning of departments,” she maintained. Salma explained that the time-bound public services including registration of the first information report (FIR), domicile certificate, land record, birth and death certificates, examination in hospital emergency and outdoor patients department (OPD), issuance of learner, issuance and renewal of driving license, verification of arm license, zakat funds (dowry)release to local committee, water connection, building plan, provision of potable water and garbage waste disposal.

Other speakers said the workshop was aimed equipping citizens with knowledge about the act by strengthening democratic local governance. They said the right to public services focused on service delivery of health, education and water & sanitation which were also covered under the Public Services Act. During the training, District Interest Group of Peshawar demanded effective implementation of the RTS Act so that the much-required confidence between the state and citizens could be developed. This training was arranged under Democratic Local governance for Development in Pakistan project.