QUICK TAKE | Delhi Officials Can Lose Up to ₹5,000 for Delaying Your Application. Seven Things to Know

1. What has Delhi changed?

The Delhi government announced the notification of its new time-bound services law on November 9. The Act, published in the Delhi Gazette in August, replaces the 2011 law upon commencement. It gives eligible citizens a right to receive covered services within a prescribed time and assigns an officer to each service.

2. Which services are covered?

Coverage depends on a separate government notification listing the services, their deadlines and the officials responsible. The framework extends to Delhi government departments, local bodies and covered institutions. The Act itself does not give a service-by-service list.

3. When does the clock start?

It starts when the designated officer or an authorised official receives a complete application. A successful online submission counts as received. Applicants get a number to track progress, and the officer must deliver the service or communicate written reasons for rejection within the deadline.

4. What if the deadline passes?

The law treats the original application as an automatic appeal to the Citizen Grievance Redressal Authority. That authority has 30 days to decide it and can direct the officer to provide the service. If the authority misses its own deadline, the appeal escalates automatically to the Delhi Right to Service Commission.

5. What if the officer rejects the application?

The applicant can appeal online. An unjustified rejection can attract a one-time penalty of ₹250 to ₹5,000. If the applicant disputes the grievance authority’s order, they ordinarily have 30 days from receiving it to appeal to the commission.

6. Who pays the fine, and who gets it?

The responsible official can be fined ₹250 per day for an unjustified delay, capped at ₹5,000 per case. The officer gets a chance to explain before a penalty is imposed. The money goes to the government treasury.

7. What happens to applications already pending?

The Act says applications and proceedings pending under the 2011 law when the new law comes into force carry over to the new framework. The Gazette text leaves the commencement date to a separate notification.