Bhubaneswar, August 24: Government officials in Odisha may now face financial penalties for delaying the delivery of notified public services. Under a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the General Administration Department, officials responsible for delays can be fined Rs 250 per day, up to a maximum of Rs 5,000.

The new guidelines have been introduced to strengthen the implementation of the Odisha Right to Public Services Act, 2012 and make the delivery of government services more transparent and accountable.

A key feature of the new SOP is the ‘Auto-Appeal System’. Under the system, if a designated officer fails to dispose of an application within the prescribed time limit, the case will automatically be forwarded to the First Appellate Authority without requiring the applicant to file a separate appeal.

Applicants seeking services covered under the Odisha Right to Public Services framework will receive a unique acknowledgement number after submitting their applications through the designated online portal. This number will allow the application to be tracked through the service-delivery process.

If the responsible officer fails to provide the service within the stipulated deadline, the system will automatically initiate an appeal and send the case to the First Appellate Authority.

The SOP also provides for financial accountability in cases of delay. A penalty of Rs 250 for each day of delay, subject to a maximum of Rs 5,000, may be imposed on the officer found responsible.

According to the guidelines, the penalty will be recovered directly from the concerned officer’s salary through integration with the Human Resources Management System (HRMS) and the Treasury system.

The General Administration Department has circulated the new SOP to all departments, directing them to ensure effective implementation of the auto-appeal mechanism and timely delivery of public services.