Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to Implement Pilot Project Guaranteeing Services to Citizens in Other Districts of the State

Kolhapur : Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced that the pilot project initiated under the Maharashtra Public Service Rights Act 2015, aimed at ensuring the delivery of various government services to citizens, will be expanded to other districts across the state.

Chief Minister Shinde launched the pilot project in Kolhapur district for the effective implementation of the Maharashtra Public Service Rights Act 2015 via a television broadcast. Present at the event in Kolhapur were Medical Education and Special Assistance Minister and Guardian Minister of Kolhapur district Hassan Mushrif, State Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai, Vice President of the Maharashtra Council of Agricultural Education and Research, Pune, and MLA Prakash Abitkar, Pune Division State Public Service Rights Commission Commissioner Dilip Shinde, Collector Amol Yedge, Municipal Commissioner K. Manjulakshmi, Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit, and Chief Executive Officer Karthikeyan S. The Chief Commissioner of the State Public Service Rights Commission, Manukumar Srivastava, Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik, Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, along with all other Divisional Commissioners and Collectors of the state, also attended the event through the television system.

On this occasion, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde remarked that on the 78th Independence Day of the country, a pilot project for the effective implementation of the Maharashtra Public Service Rights Act 2015 was being launched from the birthplace of the people-oriented leader, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj. The Act, which was initiated in 2015, includes thousands of government schemes and has made it possible to provide immediate and accessible services to citizens. However, public awareness of this law remains limited, and there is a need to ensure that people become more aware of it through effective service delivery. He congratulated the district administration for initiating the pilot project in Kolhapur and expressed gratitude to MLA Prakash Abitkar, Guardian Minister Hasan Mushrif, and State Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai for their persistent efforts in getting this project approved.

The Chief Minister praised the district administration’s commitment to ensuring that the service guarantee law reaches every citizen of the district. This project will ensure that various government services are delivered to citizens’ doorsteps in a timely manner, thereby strengthening the relationship between citizens and the administration. The Chief Minister also commended the district administration for launching innovative facilities such as door-to-door service, a service channel, the Aapna Sarkar web portal, the RTS mobile application, a WhatsApp chatbot, ideal Aapna Sarkar Seva Kendras in every taluka, and a QR code system for managing complaints. Additionally, he appreciated the initiative to speed up administrative processes by rating offices.

Following the launch of the pilot project, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde unveiled a video explaining the project, along with various promotional booklets. The event also featured the unveiling of a QR code, a toll-free helpline number, and a WhatsApp chatbot for service information. Minister of Medical Education and Special Assistance and Guardian Minister of Kolhapur Hasan Mushrif thanked the government for selecting Kolhapur as the site for the successful implementation of this Act. Speaking to the media, State Excise Minister Shambhuraj Desai praised the detailed planning that went into the effective implementation of the law. He noted that during the assembly session, local MLA Prakash Abitkar raised awareness about the Maharashtra Public Service Rights Act 2015, and closely followed up on its implementation. In response, the government decided to strictly enforce the law to minimize public inconvenience while accessing services, starting the pilot project in Kolhapur district. Minister Desai further emphasized that good planning has been done in Kolhapur for this project.

MLA Prakash Abitkar also spoke, highlighting the administration’s responsibility to ensure more transparent and people-oriented governance through the proper implementation of this law in service delivery to common people. The program began with the lighting of a lamp, followed by the national anthem and state anthem. During the event, Collector Amol Yedge provided an introduction to the Service Guarantee Act and the pilot project, while Karveer Sub-Divisional Officer Harish Dharmi gave the vote of thanks. The event saw the attendance of heads of all district departments, teachers from selected schools and colleges, as well as Sarpanchs and women in large numbers.