Maharashtra’s Public and Administration’s ‘Service Rights Day’

The Government of Maharashtra has decided to celebrate ’28th April’ as Service Rights Day for the people of Maharashtra and all government officials and employees, starting from April 1, 2025. Ten years ago, on April 28, 2015, the Government of Maharashtra, under the leadership of the then Chief Minister Shri Devendraji Fadnavis, implemented the ‘Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act 2015,’ which grants the people of Maharashtra the right to receive public services within a specified time frame. Under Section 4 of this Act, the responsibility of providing public services to the people within a fixed timeline was assigned to government officers and employees, and their accountability for this service was defined. This law encourages administrative officers to serve the public with a sense of duty. The newly formed Maharashtra State Public Services Commission has adopted the slogan “Our Service, Our Duty.”

As per the government’s recommendations, the Commission has adopted a logo and slogan, which is being printed on all certificates of notified services provided to citizens. This logo and slogan reflect the sense of duty in service, as well as assure transparency, sensitivity, and timely efficiency in government services.

Formation of the Service Rights Act

The Government of Maharashtra implemented the ‘Office Delay Prevention Act 2005’ in the year 2005. Under this law, each department is required to display the citizen’s certificate for all public services they provide, on a signboard in front of their offices. The certificate includes the officer’s designation, the maximum time allowed for the service, and in case of delay or denial of service, the appeal authorities’ names and designations. However, the current Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, observed that the ‘Office Delay Prevention Act’ was not yielding the desired results, which led to the implementation of the ‘Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act 2015’ on April 28, 2015.

Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act 2015 – Section 5(2) of this law mandates that designated officers, upon receiving an application, must either directly provide the service within the prescribed time or approve the service, or reject it with written reasons. The designated officer is responsible for informing the applicant of the appeal process, including the appeal authorities’ names and office addresses. Section 10 of the Act provides a fine ranging from ₹500 to ₹5,000 for any negligence by the designated officer or appeal authority.

Maharashtra State Public Services Commission

This law also established a fair and independent Commission for overseeing the implementation of the service rights provisions. The Commission is composed of a Chief Commissioner and one Commissioner for each of the six revenue departments. These Commissioners are appointed from among distinguished individuals with extensive administrative knowledge and experience in public life. As per Section 16 of the Act, the Commission’s duty is to ensure the effective implementation of the law and recommend measures to improve transparency, ease, and efficiency in public service delivery.

Aaple Sarkar Portal and Mobile App

Section 20(2) of the Maharashtra Right to Public Services Act 2015 emphasizes using information and technology to sensitize designated officers and provide timely services to eligible individuals. Following this, various departments of the Government of Maharashtra have started offering most services on their online platforms. By April 28, 2025, out of 1,027 notified services from 33 departments, 583 services will be available online through the Aaple Sarkar Portal and Mobile App. Services include vital services for citizens like birth/death certificates, income certificates, vehicle licenses, caste certificates, etc.

Currently, only 7 notified services are available through the Aaple Sarkar service centers in each gram panchayat. However, by a government decision on January 28, 2025, all panchayats will now have login credentials for all online services of the Maharashtra government, enabling citizens to apply for services without needing to visit district or taluka offices.

Service Rights Day Festival on April 28

Maharashtra celebrates various days such as Revenue Day on August 1, Civil Services Day on April 21, and National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, but the culmination of these observances is Service Rights Day on April 28. On this day, every government office in Maharashtra celebrates the annual review of services provided to the public and the implementation of the service rights. District collectors invite district ministers, MPs, MLAs, and other officers for a formal review of services from the past year. Government officers and employees take an oath of commitment to their duties on this day.

Moreover, officers and employees who have diligently provided services within the stipulated time under this Act will be honored with a certificate of appreciation from the district ministers.

Aaple Sarkar Service Portal

The Aaple Sarkar service portal is the online platform for most of Maharashtra’s public services. As of now, over 1,07,51,000 citizens have registered on the portal for services. Additionally, the RTS Maharashtra mobile app is available for free download on the Play Store/Apple Store. If citizens are unable to apply themselves, they can do so through one of the 39,783 Aaple Sarkar service centers across Maharashtra. These centers are privately operated under district-level supervision.

As of April 17, 2025, 18,76,52,113 applications for online services have been processed, with a completion rate of 94.15%. For the year 2024-25, 2,77,28,011 service applications were received, with a processing rate of 92.33%.

To combat offline applications, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed that all services be made available online by May 31, 2025, and all remaining offline services will be moved to the Aaple Sarkar portal by August 15, 2025.

On this Service Rights Day, I extend my best wishes to all citizens of Maharashtra on behalf of the government and the Commission.