Congress leader seeks scrapping of Punjab RTS panel

Chandigarh, Oct 27: A senior Congress leader in Punjab on Thursday demanded the scrapping of the state’s Right to Service (RTS) Commission, saying it was a huge burden on the state exchequer. Punjab Congress Legislature Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi said the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal was misusing the panel to park its favourites there.

Channi said: “The cash-strapped Parkash Singh Badal government recently appointed seven more Commissioners on the panel, while five Commissioners are already on the panel.”

He said the Commission was constituted in 2012-13 and had received 29,019 complaints, of which 28,978 have been disposed.

“The Commission already has a big set-up with one Chief Commissioner, five Commissioners, one Secretary and 54 supporting staff. Now, the new Commissioners have been appointed. The budgetary allocation of the panel is increasing every year,” Channi said while quoting information received under the RTI (Right to Information) Act by the party’s RTI Cell incharge Jasdeepak Singh.

He said the working of the Sewa and Suvidha centres across Punjab, which come under the commission amnit, was hardly satisfactory. “The system was implemented as part of the governce reforms to end corruption at the cutting-edge level of the government but the very purpose had been defeated,” the Congress leader said.

“Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal should talk to people waiting outside these centres to know the harassment they face. There might be nothing wrong with the system but it is the functioning that has come under question. Such commissions should not be turned into dumping grounds for ruling party favourites,” Channi added. (IANS)