The Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday approved the Kerala Right to Public Service Bill 2025, which aims to guarantee that eligible citizens receive government services within a fixed time frame.
The Bill was passed in the absence of Opposition UDF MLAs, who boycotted the session while demanding the resignation of Temple Affairs Minister VN Vasavan over the Sabarimala gold controversy.
Law and Justice Minister P Rajeev introduced the Bill in the Assembly while Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was in New Delhi for meetings with Union ministers.
Chief Minister Vijayan later said on X that the legislation strengthens citizens’ rights to timely, transparent, and accountable service delivery. He added that if a service request is not fulfilled within 30 days, it will be considered as provided. The Bill also establishes a strong system for grievance redressal, marking another step in people-focused governance.
Minister Rajeev explained that the new Bill replaces an earlier version passed by the UDF government in 2012, which had largely remained ineffective. A review found that 18 of the 83 state departments had not even listed any public services under the previous law. The new Bill introduces stronger accountability, allowing for action against department heads who fail to publish the required services.
Rajeev also pointed out that while the 2012 Act included fines ranging from ₹500 to ₹5000, no penalties were ever collected. The reformed Bill includes clearer and stricter measures to ensure compliance and delivery.
Under the new law, designated officers will be appointed at the village, taluk, district, and department levels to oversee the delivery of essential public services. The time limit for each service will start from the date the application is submitted to the designated officer.
