Chapter I PRELIMINARY

(1) This Act may be called the Jharkhand Electronic Service Delivery Act, 2011 (2) It extends to the whole of the state of Jharkhand (3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification, appoint and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the commencement of that provision.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, — (a) "access" shall have the meaning assigned to it in section 2(1)(a) of the Information Technology Act, 2000; (b) "Government" means as respects any matter, - the State Government. (c) "competent authority" means the Head of every Department of the Government as notified by the Government from time to time and may include, inter alia, the Secretaries to the Government, the Heads of the Government, and the Heads of Government Organisations and Government Bodies, (d) "electronic service delivery" means the delivery of services through electronic mode including, inter alia, the receipt of forms and applications, issue or grant of any license, permit, certificate, sanction or approval and the receipt or payment of money; (e) "electronic mode" shall include any method, process or application to deliver any service electronically; (f) "law" includes any Act of Parliament or of a State Legislature, Ordinances promulgated by the President or a Governor, as the case may be, Regulations made by the President under Article 240, Acts enacted as President's Act under sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of article 357 of the Constitution and includes rules, regulations, bye-laws and orders issued or made thereunder; (g) "notification" with its grammatical variations and cognate expressions means a notification published in the Official Gazette; (h) "person" shall include any company or association or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not; (i) "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act; (j) "public authority" means any authority or body established or constituted by law and includes, inter alia, any other body owned and controlled by the Government; (k) "public service" means any service provided by the Government either directly or through any service provider; which shall include include, inter alia, the receipt of forms and applications, issue or grant of any license, permit or certificate, sanction or approval and the receipt or payment of money by whatever name called in a particular manner; (l) "rule" means a rule made by the Government under this Act; (m) "service provider" means any individual, agency, company, partnership firm, sole proprietor firm or any such other body or agency which has been authorised by the Government to offer services through electronic mode; (n) "State Commission" means the State Electronic Service Delivery Commission established under sub section (1) of section 4; (o) "State Chief Commissioner" means the Chief Commissioner of the State Electronic Service Delivery Commission appointed under sub-section (2) of section 4; (p) "State Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the State Electronic Service Delivery Commission appointed under sub-section (2) of section 4.