User charges for the services being provided to the general public by various government departments in the state will now increase by a minimum of five percent every year. This increase will automatically come into effect from the first day of every financial year i.e. April 1. It has been implemented from Friday in the current financial year 2023-24. In case of increasing the user charge less than this, the department will have to take permission from the government. It will be mandatory for departments to provide UPI facility for collecting user charges.
User charges have been fixed in the state for public services including permanent residence certificate, income certificate and other certificates, new ration card, making or renewal of various licenses, OPD registration in hospitals. 400 such services are being provided online through the Apni Sarkar portal. 655 services of 48 departments have been notified by the Right to Service Commission. The cabinet had on July 7 decided to increase user charges at a minimum rate of five per cent with a proposal to link them to the prevailing market inflation.
According to this decision, Finance Secretary Dilip Jawalkar issued the mandate on Friday. The Finance Secretary said that so far the increase in user charges has been done at an interval of three to five years. Such a one-time increase shows a large increase in duty. Keeping in mind that there should not be a one-time burden on the general public, an annual increase of at least five percent has been made. The revised rates will be applicable from April 1 every year. In the current financial year, it has been implemented from Friday, the date of implementation of the mandate. In the departments which have not increased the user charges in the current financial year, this increase will now be implemented.
He told that if any department has to change the user charge by less than five percent, then the proposal in this regard will be placed before the cabinet. The rates can be reduced only after the approval of the cabinet. He said that if more than five percent increase in user charges is justified and practical, then the concerned department will be able to do it at its own level. The revision rate will have to ensure the bearing of the operation cost and upgradation cost of the concerned unit. He said that all the departments will have to compulsorily provide UPI facility for depositing user charges through their respective web portal app.
