Governor consent to Public Services Bill

BANGALORE: The Governor has given his consent to the Karnataka Public Services Guarantee Bill, which would be enforced in force from next month, announced Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.He was addressing the deputy commissioners of 30 districts of the state through video conference at Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore on Friday. The Bill was passed in both the houses of the state Legislature recently.Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, who was also present, informed that with the legislation becoming an Act, it would be introduced in four taluks each in all revenue divisions from February.The government would, however, enforce the law throughout the state from April.Suresh Kumar also informed that the government would send a study team to Bihar, where a similar law has already been implemented.To popularise the features of the Act, an awareness programme would be launched soon in the state besides imparting training to officials on its features, he said.It may be pertinent to note that once the Bill becomes an Act, it will be mandatory for government servants in 11 departments to provide 152 services within a stipulated time frame, failing which they would be penalised.