A Good Step: Naveen asks babus to visit villages

Naveen asks babus to visit villages
The Pioneer, June 14, 2009
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday asked all the secretaries to prepare a five-year perspective plan for their respective departments and go to fields instead of functioning from the air- conditioned rooms of the State Secretariat.

'We can not yield fruits of welfare schemes if officers make reviews in air-conditioned rooms. One has to go to people in their villages and ensure that schemes serve purpose,' Patnaik reportedly told secretaries at a high level meeting held at the State Secretariat.

Stating that programmes like Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, Madhubabu Pension Yojana (pension for old and invalid), Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana (rural development scheme), employment mission should be given priority, Patnaik asked officials to work with sincerity and efficiency to ensure that masses get benefit from 'sadak, bijli and pani'.

'All the officers in the rank of secretaries have been asked to prepare five-year perspective plan within 15 days in consultation with the ministers considered," Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy told reporters after the meeting.

Henceforth, all the directors, chief engineers of all departments would undertake at least 10 days field visits in a month. Similarly, district collectors would have to visit all the blocks and tehsils headquarters at least once a month.

Similarly, senior officers of the rank of chief secretary, development commissioner and agriculture production commissioner have been asked to monitor and review at least once in a month on the progress made on different schemes. "The senior officer will visit the block to ensure that the developmental works are being going on effectively. Instead of taking a review meeting there, they should put priority on inspecting the developmental work," Tripathy said. Henceforth, a secretary would visit a district thrice in a span of three months. They would also make night halt in the district hq.

Patnaik also insisted on maintaining perfect coordination between departments, directorates and collectorates. All departments were asked to keep management information system (MIS) at places. The departments have also been asked to use E-Governance in all their works.

Stress on grievance redressal mechanism, Patnaik also directed officials to operate grievance cells from block level to the Sate level on every Saturday. All officers would be accountable to their works. Those who do the fine jobs, would be rewarded and those who fails to deliver the result would be punished.

All the secretaries, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy, Development Commissioner TK Mishra, Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) SP Nanda, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Bijay Kumar Patnaik were present on the occasion.