Administrative Reforms 
Organised by Administrative Reforms Department
Government of NCT of Delhi
(13th February, 2003)
I SESSION
KEY NOTE ADDRESS
Sh. Champak Chatterjee, Addl. Secretary, Deptt. of AR&PG, GOI delivered the keynote address.He emphasized the need for bringing openness and transparency through citizens charters for good governance.The citizens today want a greater say in the public services. It was stressed that the citizens charters should be more citizens centric and the commitments made therein should be strictly adhered to.The charters need to be prepared in consultation with the stakeholders.
It was felt that the employees need to be sensitized in this regard to change their mindset.The old notions of power, authority and control have to be shed.He also emphasized the need for prompt rederessal of public grievances to build public faith.
KEY NOTE ADDRESS
HOW TO PREPARE CITIZEN'S CHARTER :-
A presentation about the need for preparing citizens charter and how to prepare them was made by Lt. Col. Dharamadhikari, General Secretary, Transparency International India.The basic & essential ingredients of a Citizens Charter are:-
| Sr.No. | Citizens Charter |
|---|---|
| 1. | Listing of specific services offered by the department, |
| 2. | The names (with address and telephone number) of the officers responsible for delivery of the aforesaid services |
| 3. | The time required for the delivery of each service; and |
| 4. | The grievance redressal authority in case the services offered are delayed or denied. |
II SESSION
HOW TO REVIEW CITIZEN'S CHARTER :-
In the second session Lt. Col. Dharamadhikari made a presentation about how to review the existing citizens charters.He highlighted the main issues, which ought to be seen at the time of review of the existing citizens charters.
CASE STUDY:-
Dr. S.K. Aggarwal of Transparency International India presented a case study of about 13 citizens charters studied by them with reference to citizens point of view.Highlighting the various short comings noticed in most of the Citizens Charters, the following suggestions were made for effective implementation of the Citizens Charters:-ces offered are delayed or denied.
| Sr.No. | Citizens Charter |
|---|---|
| 1. | Involvement of employees |
| 2. | Recognition of employees |
| 3. | Reorientation and training |
| 4. | Awareness about charters |
| 5. | Use of Information Technology |
| 6. | Measurable and monitored |
| 7. | Accountability |
| 8. | Review of charter |
SUPPLEMENT TO CITIZEN'S CHARTERS :-
Sh. Prakash Kumar, Secretary (AR) supplemented the presentations by highlighting the need for putting all the application forms on the website of Delhi Government.It was emphasized that the documents required to be submitted alongwith application form and procedure for deposit of fee should also be displayed on the website so that the citizens are in a position to ensure submission of proper documents without hassle.Format of undertakings, if any, required alongwith these documents should also be available on website, both in English and Hindi.
CONCLUDING ADDRESS BY CHIEF SECRETARY :-
Smt. Shailaja Chandra, Chief Secretary, Delhi highlighted the steps taken by the government for bringing openness and transparency in its working.She emphatically said that the officials have to be more responsive to the citizens in providing services.The Citizens Charters must be prepared by all public dealing departments and the employees should be made aware about its contents for proper implementation in letter & spirit.
ASSIGNMENT TO DEPARTMENTS :-
All the departments were requested to carryout the following assignments in a time bound manner S. No.
| Sr.No. | Assignment | Target Date |
|---|---|---|
|
1. |
Please prepare a Citizens Charter for your department, if not done. | 28th February, 2003 |
| 2. | Please review the existing Citizens Charter. | 28th February, 2003 |
| 3. | Please place the Citizens Charters on your website. | 7th March, 2003 |
| 4. | E-mail the Citizens Charter to A.R. Department on drkbrai[at]hub[dot]nic.in | 7th March, 2003 |
| 5. | Application Forms: - Please send soft copy by e-mail | 28th February, 2003 |
| 6. | FAQ on services provided by departments webupdate[at]hub[dot]nic.in | 7th March, 2003 |