Cabinet approves Electronic Delivery of Services Bill 2011

NEW DELHI: The government is believed to have approved a Bill to bring in transparency and prevent corruption in delivery of public services, like driving licence and permit, through use of electronic medium, particularly Internet.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, today cleared the Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, 2011, sources said.

This, however, could not be ascertained independently. The government had proposed to mandate public services, like all types of forms, certificates, and payment receipts should be provided to citizens electronically.

The idea behind the bill is to reduce the interface of public with government officials and save time and money on such visits, sources said. It would enhance transparency in the delivery of such services and also reduce of corruption, he added.

The draft bill by the Communication and IT Ministry had proposed penalties for officials who do not adhere to the norms proposed in the bill.