• UGI USER
  • Sep 06, 2023
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Q. Citizen’s Charters are tools that help conventional organizations develop socially sensitive and ethically oriented professional conduct. Elaborate.

Approach:

  • Start with a note on the need for sensitivity and ethical orientation of professional conduct.
  • Comment upon the status of the same in conventional organizations.
  • Highlight the significance of Citizens Charters in raising the standards of professional conduct.
  • Conclude appropriately.

Answer:

The ultimate objective of government machinery is to serve the people of the country and uphold public interests. However, the manner in which public utilities and government manage public services, leaves much to be desired. Common citizens generally get pushed from pillar to post while dealing with the governmental machinery.

Conventional public organizations are characterized by

  • An administrative apparatus that has become impersonal and irresponsible to the needs of the people.
  • Little public accountability and even lesser transparency.
  • No noticeable public participation in the formulation of programs and policies.

In this, citizen charter can play a constructive role in terms of making conventional organizations appreciate the needs of the citizens

  • Spirit of Service: Citizens’ Charter is practical in its approach as it involves and motivates government functionaries to work out and adopt a more responsive organizational set up with increased public accountability and transparency, besides courteous and efficient service, responsive to the citizen’s needs.
  • Fixing Responsibility: It holds both individuals and organizations responsible for performance in keeping with the specified standards and also ensures that lapses are dealt with firmly and in an exemplary manner.
  • Culture of Openness: It not only ensures service providers make relevant information available to the public but also provides easy access to such information, especially in regard to rules and procedures and redressal of grievances.
  • Informed Beneficiaries: It provides for the peoples’ right to be informed and choose for themselves. Therefore, it enables citizens to make informed choices and exercise their rights.
  • Public Faith: It re-imposes citizen’s faith and trust in administrative machinery and makes them believe that there is a spriit of talent, energy, care and commitment in our public services.

It has been recognized world over that good governance is essential for sustainable development, both economic and social. The three essential aspects emphasized in good governance are transparency, accountability and responsiveness of the administration. Citizens’ Charters are a response to the quest for solving the problems which a citizen encounters, day in and day out, while dealing with the organizations providing public services.