Opt for self declaration for various services rendered by ministries: Punjab to Centre

NEW DELHI: Ever had to run to a notary to get an affidavit on an Rs 50 stamp paper to avail a public service or hunt for a gazetted government officer to get photocopies of your academic certificates attested? The one opposition-ruled state in the country where citizens do not have to waste time and money doing so has now brought its impressive case to Delhi saying the Centre as well as all other states should follow suit.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-BJP led Punjab government has suggested to the Centre that it should replicate its landmark project of doing away with the need for filing affidavits and attestations by gazetted government officers for a host of public services and also suggest it to other states.

In a presentation accessed by ET which was recently given to the Department of Administrative Grievances (DARPG) of the Union Ministry of Personnel, the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission (PGRC) of the state government has said as per its estimate, nearly 20 crore affidavits are made every year in the country.

Considering a citizen spends nearly Rs 400 on each affidavit, the “economic loss” is to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore. “The Government of India may adopt the Punjab model of abolition of affidavits and opt for self declaration for various services rendered by its Ministries, departments, public sector units and autonomous organizations. The relevant rules and regulations by such ministries should be identified and modified. DARPG may also circulate the Punjab model to all state governments as best practices of governance reforms for adaption by respective states,” says the PGRC presentation to the DARPG.

The presentation also proposes that the Ministry of Law and Justice in consultation with the Judiciary may review the legal requirement for affidavits relating to criminal and civil matters and statutory provisions in Indian Evidence Act and Criminal Procedure Code are amended.

The PGRC project is said to be a brain-child of the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal who has many a time also extolled its virtues. As per the presentation, the PGRC says the affidavit culture presupposes that “all citizens as cheats and frauds unless proven otherwise” and hence the government seeks affidavits for delivery of services and declarations are accepted only if gazetted officers, an oath commissioner or an executive magistrate attests the same.

“The baseline scenario is that of trust deficit between governments towards citizens. The cost to citizens is buying stamp papers, locating a deed writer and payment to a notary and executive magistrate. The cost to government is time of gazetted officers and executive magistrates,” the PGRC presentation says. What Punjab has done instead over the last two years is to abolish the need for affidavits for availing 89 important public services.