New Delhi: The Centre has written to states asking them to promote self-attestation of documents in place of notarised and gazetted officer-signed affidavits required for majority of government-related works.
Terming it a good governance initiative, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said introducing a single, self-attested affidavit would go a long way in simplifying processes and revolutionizing governance in the country.
"It is one of the good governance initiatives taken by the government. We are promoting self-attestation of documents in place of affidavits. We have written to states and sought their views too," Singh said.
The government is yet to come out with an official order in this regard. "The intent of declaration has been made very clear. We cannot give any timeline for it (implementation of self-attestation of documents)," Singh told reporters here after inaugurating two-day symposium on 'Excellence in Public Service and Public Administration' here.
He said the government need to focus on maximising and simplifying governance. "It has been our endeavour to ensure maximum governance and minimum government. We will continue to simplifying government processes," the Minister said.
At present, an individual has to spend about Rs 200-500 to get a notarised affidavit, whereas, getting a certificate or affidavit from a gazetted officer remains a herculean task for common man, especially those living in remote areas of the country.
Cabinet Secretary Ajit Kumar Seth, who was also present at the function, said the government is determined to improve public service delivery system. "We are working towards meeting our government's priority to bring innovation, energy and drive to transform public service delivery in the country," Seth said.
Underlining the importance of partnerships in improving public service, N Ravi Shankar, Secretary, Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, said, "In today's time, government institutions and civil society cannot stand alone. Collaborative efforts between government, private sector and civil society are needed to sustain progress towards development goals."
The two-day event showcases outstanding global examples of best practices and reforms, which have made a significant impact in improving public administration and public service delivery.
Countries presenting innovative reforms include Bangladesh, Brazil, Bahrain, Canada, Dubai, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Peru, Senegal, Singapore, Tanzania, Turkey, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.
Gujarat's online grievance redressal mechanism or 'Swagat' is amongst 21 global innovations in public administration, which are being showcased at the symposium. By creating a direct interface between citizens and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, 'Swagat' has enabled ordinary citizens to seek redressal for their grievances through an online platform.
The initiative received the prestigious United Nations Public Service Awards in 2010. In addition to Gujarat, most of the other participating initiatives are recipients of either the United Nations Public Service Awards or the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management Awards, said a press release issued by United Nations Development Programme.
