Delhi Cabinet Approves Bill to Make Time-Bound Public Service Delivery a Legal Right

On Tuesday, the Delhi Cabinet officially approved a new piece of legislation that seeks to make the time-bound delivery of public services a legal entitlement for citizens across Delhi. The landmark decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, paving the way for a technology-driven system designed to improve administrative accountability.

The newly approved legislation, titled the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Services) Bill, 2026, is aimed at easing citizens' access to various government services. According to a statement shared by the Delhi Chief Minister's Office (CMO) on the social media platform X, this new Bill will replace the previous 2011 law with a modern, technology-driven legal framework tailored for citizen-centric governance.

Under the strict provisions of the 2026 Bill, every citizen living in Delhi will possess a legally guaranteed right to receive notified government services within a fixed, pre-determined timeframe. The entire application and delivery process is set to be fully digital.

To prevent administrative delays, the digital system will feature an automatic escalation mechanism. If a service is not delivered within the stipulated timeframe, the system will automatically escalate the request to the next level of authority.

The legislation also proposes the creation of an independent grievance redressal system to handle citizen complaints. As part of this system, a new regulatory body called the Delhi Right to Service Commission will be established.

To enforce strict accountability among government personnel, the Bill introduces specific provisions for penalties in cases of administrative failure or delay. Officials stated that the legislation is designed to promote transparent, technology-driven governance and is expected to be introduced in the upcoming monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly for final approval.