Delhi to Fine Erring Officials Up to ₹5,000 for Delayed Services: New Bill Approved

The Delhi Cabinet has approved the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound and Ease of Delivery of Service) Bill, 2026, which aims to impose heavier penalties on government officials who delay services without valid justification. The proposed legislation will replace the existing Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Act, 2011.

Under the new Bill, an official found responsible for a delay may be fined ₹250 per day, up to a maximum of ₹5,000, after being given a full opportunity to explain the delay, in line with the principles of natural justice, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

The government is expected to table the Bill in the Monsoon Session of the Delhi Assembly. Once enacted, the law will cover over 500 services, after the Delhi government recently added 23 more services under the time-bound delivery mechanism.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the Bill is intended to ensure that every citizen receives notified services within prescribed timelines and to enhance accountability of government departments and officials for delays and negligence. She described it as a significant step towards administrative reforms and a milestone in providing transparent, simple, efficient, and technology-driven public services.

Under the 2011 Act, officials who failed to deliver services on time were liable to pay citizens ₹10 per day for the entire period of delay, subject to a maximum of ₹200 per application, as 'compensatory cost'. The new Bill significantly raises these penalties.

The government will notify from time to time the services covered under the law, along with their timelines and the designated officers responsible for delivery, the CMO stated.