Citizens Charter

Citizens' Charter
MAIN OBJECTIVE OF "CITIZENS

CHARTER"
The main objective of Citizens' Charter is to find ways of overcoming
the various negative aspects mentioned earlier, and to bring about a
change in the way the governmental machinery functions at all
levels. Citizens' Charter is not theoretical in its approach. It is
practical in terms of involving and motivating those who constitute
the Governmental Machinery themselves and the citizens to work
out and adopt a more responsive organisational set up with
increased public accountability and transparency, besides courteous
and efficient service, responsive to the citizens' needs.
GOVERNMENT AS A PROVIDER OF
SERVICE
It is seldom realised that Government too has customers namely the people for whom it exists
and whom it is expected to serve. All public services are paid for by individual citizens, either
directly or indirectly through taxes. The citizens' have therefore every right to expect high
quality of service responsive to their needs to be provided efficiently and at a reasonable cost.
Where the State is engaged in regulating taxing or administering justice, these functions too
must be carried out in a fair, effective and courteous manner.
It is therefore time to radically change the way the Governmental Machinery at various levels
operates i.e. shiftfrom top down bureaucracy to an entrepreneurial Government that empower
citizens and Communities and encourages them to participate in the decision making process
Meaning of citizen’s charter
The Citizens' Charter, in short is a set of viewpoints of the users of public services. It is not meant
to be a formula which imposes a dry and uniform pattern of response of all public services. It is
meant to be a tool kit of initiatives and ideas to raise standards of performance in the way most
appropriate to each senice It is intended to give more power to the citizens. It is not a plea for
more State action.
The Citlzem' Charter is further based on t!e people's nght to be informed all$ choose for
themselves. It emphasises the point that "For too long the provider has dominated, now it is the
turn of the user". Above all it believes that there is a spring of talent, energy, care and
commtnlent in our public services. The charter's aim is, therefore, to release these qualities so
that wc can have services, in which the citizens can have confidence and public servants can
hme pride.
THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF
CITIZENS' CHARTER
Its main elements are:
Quality- a sustained new programme for improving the quality of public services
 Choice - Choice wherever possible between competing providers is the best spur to quality improvement.
Standards - The citizen must be told what service standards are and be able to act where service is
unacceptable.
Value
- The citizen as a taxpayer has a right to expect that public services must give value for money within a tax
bill the nation can afford.
Accountability - By holding both individuals and organisations responsible for perfomnce in keeping with
Lhe specified standards and also ensuring that lapses if any are dealt with firmly and in an exemplary
manner
STEPS TO BE TAKEN FOR SUCCESSFUL
IMPLEMENTATION OF CITIZENS' CHARTER
1) Providing Legal provisions to facilitate participation, transparency and organisational autonomy and to induce
responsiveness in the public sector.
2) Deregulation, franchising and contracting out of services to multiple providers and publlc-private or public-
public competition with adequate safety nets to the interest of citizens.
3) Project Level Accountability Mechanism Participation of the relevant stake holders (staff, users, citizens etc.)
in the . preparation, design, implementation and evaluation of projects to improve public accountability.
4) User Surveys Systematic User Surveys should be resorted, to assess customer satisfaction regarding quality
adequacy and other relevant dimensions of the various services and the feedback received used not only to
judge the performance of the agency, but also to improve its functio~ung. Citizen groups consumer
organisations and other NGOs should also be encouraged to provide such feedback.
5) Performance Plans and Agreement Public Agencies/enterprises responsible for major investments and
services should prepare annual Performance Plans that specify their goals and standards for service delivery.
This will give more power to user/customer groups to demand greater accountability from the service providers
STEPS TO BE TAKEN FOR SUCCESSFUL
IMPLEMENTATION OF CITIZENS' CHARTER
6) User Charges for Participation User charges does not necessarily i~nply that such charges should be
levied for cost recoveq or deficit reduction. User charges on the other hand encourages individuals and
other groups to demand better performance and accountability from the public agencies involved. If an
agency is required to raise large part of its revenues through user fees, or its autonomy is linked to such
earnings, it is likely to induce the agency to be Inore responsive to the needs of its users.
7) Public Hearings Though organised public participation is desirable, the initative or the orgnaised
effort required for such collective action is often lacking Setting up of regulatory agencies with adequate
legal backing in respect of important service which can hold public hearings on important issues, such
as tariff structure etc. can strengthen public accountability through participation.
8) Information as Aid to Accountability Last but not the least, only a well informed citi~en, with
adequate awareness, can play an usefil role in strengthening public accountability. Access to
information and public education as also awareness building therefore assumes special importance in
the context of Fublic Accountability. Both expert institutions and the media as also the NGOs play an
important part in this area.

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Citizens' Charter

MAIN OBJECTIVE OF "CITIZENS

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