The government has introduced major changes to make the system of fulfilling legislative assurances faster, more transparent and more accountable. These assurances include questions, statements and commitments given by ministers in the state legislature, many of which affect citizens directly.
A new Permanent Assurance Committee has been formed with a revised structure and stricter timelines. The main goal is to prevent public issues from remaining pending for months or years.
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How This Helps the Public
- Government must respond faster
The committee will now meet every 15 days.
This means no department can keep an assurance pending for an unlimited time.
Citizens whose questions or issues are raised in the Assembly or Council will get quicker action.
- Ministers must fulfill assurances within 90 days
Any assurance given by a minister in the legislature must be completed within three months.
If this does not happen, the department must provide a clear explanation to the committee.
This rule brings stronger accountability.
- Old pending assurances get priority
Assurances pending for more than two years will be listed separately and acted upon first.
Many such issues are stuck because of delays at district or departmental level.
Now departments will be given fixed deadlines to resolve them.
- Cases remain pending only when necessary information is provided
If an assurance cannot be processed because the required information was not provided by the MLA or MLC who raised it, the matter will be closed.
This prevents unnecessary backlog.
- If an assurance cannot be fulfilled, reasons must be clearly recorded
Sometimes an assurance becomes impossible to fulfill due to changing circumstances.
In such cases, the department must write to the committee with a clear explanation.
The assurance can only be closed after the committee reviews and approves it.
This ensures transparency for the public.
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Why this matters to citizens
These changes directly benefit the public because:
• People don’t have to wait endlessly for information or decisions from the government.
• Questions raised by elected representatives will now get answers within a fixed time limit.
• Government departments will be monitored more strictly.
• The entire system becomes faster, clearer and more responsive.
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With these new rules, pending work is expected to reduce significantly.
Public issues raised in the legislature will move more quickly, and citizens can expect better and timely information from their government.
Download PDF for Government Tightens Rules for Fulfilling Legislative Assurances: Click Here
