Meet Hare instructs Deputy Commissioners to ensure use of self-declaration instead of affidavit

Despite the facility of self-declaration, on an average more than 2100 affidavit cases are received in Seva Kendras daily.

Instructions issued by the Minister regarding administrative reforms after feedback from the people

Minister for Administrative Reforms Gurmeet Singh Meet Heyer has instructed all Deputy Commissioners of the state to ensure the use of self-declaration instead of affidavit during the proceedings of cases related to providing civic services to the people.

Meet Hare said that despite providing the facility of self declaration, people still have to come to Seva Kendras for affidavit. Therefore, all districts have been instructed to strictly follow the use of self-declaration instead of affidavit. He said that the state government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is committed to providing uninterrupted public services to the common citizen and this step will save both time and money of the citizens of Punjab.

Administrative Reforms Minister further informed that the state government has already adopted the use of self declaration instead of attested affidavit. In this regard, instructions were already issued in the year 2010, but after taking feedback at the ground level, it was found that these instructions remained only on paper and were not implemented by the offices. During the review of Seva Kendras, it came to light that many people are coming to Seva Kendras for verification of affidavits despite the instructions of self-declaration.

Meet Hare said that the complete non-compliance of these instructions can also be estimated from the fact that a total of 4,38,058 affidavits were prepared and verified in the service centers from Janvati 2022. On an average daily more than 2100 citizens are coming to Seva Kendras only for affidavit verification. An officer of the rank of Executive Magistrate has been deputed by the districts to verify them.

The Minister for Administrative Reforms said that after visiting those service centers in the past few days, during his interaction with the people, it has come to light that at the district level, government/private offices and schools/colleges etc. are still not accepting admissions, certificates, scholarships, Meter Connection, Tube Well Connection, Recruitment, NOC Affidavit is being sought for etc. This not only wastes the money of the citizens but also wastes the time of the citizens as well as the government.