(1) Every authority which is empowered under any law, order or notification to issue any licence, permit, no objection certificate, approvals, technical approvals, permissions, development permissions, or any kind of authorisations, shall be required to deal with, attend to and dispose of applications/requests thereof within a period specified in the relevant Statutes and where no such period is specified, within a period of twenty one days from the date of receipt of such application/request and not any longer.
(2) Any failure on the part of any authority to deal with and dispose of the applications/request referred to in sub-section (1) shall be construed to be a serious default in the discharge of its duty and a violation of the right of the citizens under this Act; and shall be punishable in accordance with the provisions of this Act.
(3) The time limit specified under the provisions of this Act shall apply to every Authority in this State including the Appellate Authorities and the Administrative side of Judicial and Quasi Judicial Authority, set up or prescribed under this Act and any other law:
Provided however, such time limit in case of any Judicial, Quasi Judicial proceedings shall be three months.
20. (1) Every Authority including the Minister and Secretary to the Government shall ensure strict compliance with the Rules of Business.
(2) The Secretary to the Government of the concerned Department shall be responsible for compliance with the Rules of Business by every Authority.
(3) Violation of the Rules of Business shall be considered a serious matter and a remiss -7- in the discharge of one’s duties by or under the Constitution of India in terms of this Act.
(4) For the purpose of compliance with the Rules of Business, consultation with the Finance Department in case of matters covered under the Rules of Business requiring the consultation of the Finance Department, as well as that of the Law Department shall, wherever required, be mandatory. For the purpose of this Act, the noting of the Finance Department as well as of the Law Department, as and when required, shall form permanent notings and records on the file concerned.