MARDAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa education minister Mohammad Atif Khan on Thursday said the government was striving for the progress and development of the province.

“We’re taking measures to provide facilities to the people on their doorstep,” he told a seminar on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Public Services Act here at the Pakhtunkhwa House.

Right to Public Service Commission chief commissioner Hanif Aurakzai, Mardan commissioner Khalid Hussain, MPAs Zahid Durrani and Tufail Anjum and representatives of different sects were present on the occasion.

The minister said the government had introduced the Right to Information Act making it mandatory for all government organisations to ensure the people’s easy access to the sought-after information or record.

Insists accountability commission will be free of govt influence

He said it would not only keep people aware of government affairs but it would also bring transparency in government matters and activities.

The minister, however, said the government had made itself accountable through the promulgation of Right to Public Services Act.

He said it was the responsibility of media and political parties to create public awareness of the law.

“After imposition of the Right to Public Service Act, the provision of domicile, ferd (a document with land ownership details), building plan, a copy of the first information report, and birth/death certificate are declared essential public services,” he said.

The minister said it was decided that domicile would be issued in 10 days at maximum, ferd in one week, building plan in 30 days, FIR in 24 hours, and birth/death certificate in 10 days.

“We have appointed the chairman of the Accountability Commission through a very transparent procedure,” he said, adding that the government neither believed in political victimisation nor would it allow anyone to use the law for own interest.

The minister said the Accountability Commission would be free of the government influence and that it would hold accountable all government functionaries even including the chief minister and ministers.

He said the National Accountability Bureau chairman was appointed by the prime minister and opposition leader in the National Assembly with mutual consultation and that in such kind of situation, how the NAB chairman could ensure everyone accountable for actions across the board.

The minister said computerisation of Mardan district’s land revenue record had been completed to the benefit of common man.

The chief commissioner said under the Right to Public Services Act, the government officials not delivering the services sought by the people within the stipulated time would be fined Rs25,000 and 70 percent of the amount would be given to applicants.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014