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The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government to submit a detailed report within four weeks on the pendency of applications under the Sakala scheme, a citizen service initiative designed to ensure timely delivery of government services.
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The directive came on July 28 from a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi, in response to a petition filed by Gowrishankar S. The petitioner alleged ongoing delays and inefficiencies in implementing the Sakala scheme, which is governed by the Karnataka Guarantee of Services to Citizens Act, 2011.
Court seeks specific data on Sakala Scheme
The court instructed the government to provide specific data, including the total number of pending applications, the filing dates of those applications, and the estimated time required for their resolution.
Sakala aims to streamline the delivery of various public services such as income and caste certificates, senior citizen cards, and health cards. It is supported by a digital infrastructure created by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to promote transparency and reduce corruption.
While the court acknowledged concerns raised about the backlog, it dismissed the petitioner’s request to refund penalties and interest charged on delayed property tax payments. The bench held that such relief cannot be granted in general terms and would require individual grievances to be raised separately. The matter has been posted for further hearing after the submission of the state’s report.
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