Keralites get their ‘biggest right’

Right to Service Bill, 2012, guarantees delivery of specified services within a stipulated period

The Kerala Assembly created history on Wednesday by adopting the landmark State Right to Service Bill, 2012, which guarantees delivery of specified services within a stipulated time period. If this does not happen, a penalty will be imposed on the official concerned.

Thirteen specified government services come under the ambit of the new law. These include issue of certificates of birth and death; denomination of caste, income and domicile; electricity connection to households and commercial shops; domestic water connections and issue of ration cards.

While the Opposition was engrossed in disrupting the proceedings of  the House  protesting against alleged corruption in the proposal for construction of new buildings for  the Veterinary University, the Bill was adopted with the support of  the treasury benches.

Chief Minister  Oommen Chandy declared that the enactment based on the Bill will go a long way in giving  the people of the state  their biggest right. “The government will take all steps to ensure that an enactment is put in place at the earliest and the provisions are implemented without fail. The government is committed to it,” he said.

The House also gave its approval to The Commonwealth Trust, Kozhikode (Acquisition and Transfer of  Undertaking) Bill, 2012 and the Kerala Appropriation (No.3)  Bill, 2012. 

Presenting the Appropriation Bill for approval of  the house, Finance Minister K M Mani announced that the rebate for khadi sector will be released before Onam. For  the coir sector, the Minister announced an additional `10 crore for providing relief to workers, in addition to `10 crore announced in the budget. Fishermen will get an additional relief of  `10 crore in addition to the budgetary allocation of  `4 crore.

He also made significant changes in the registration fee for division and apportioning of  land between members in a family. The fee will be one percent of  the fair value of land or `25,000, whichever is higher.

The continuing protest of  the Opposition, however, led the Speaker to adjourn the session sine die. 

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