The New Indian Express ·
Politics
Focus on clearance of files, not on WhatsApp messages: AP CM Chandrababu Naidu to officials
VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu pulled up ministers, secretaries, collectors and other officials over delay in clearing files, and stressed the need for faster decision-making to ensure efficient administration. He pointed out that some officials were not interested to go through the files related to their respective departments, but were very much interested in checking their WhatsApp messages.
Reviewing the status of file clearance on the second and final day of the Collectors Conference at the State Secretariat on Friday, Naidu expressed displeasure over officials taking excessive time to clear files.
He appreciated those who disposed of files within two days or less, and particularly commended officials who cleared them within hours.
The Chief Minister advised ministers taking up to four days to clear files to expedite the process. He also took serious exception to the absence of some officials at the Collectors’ Conference, and directed Chief Secretary Sai Prasad to obtain explanations from them.
Revealing that ministers M Ramprasad Reddy, Kollu Ravindra and Payyavula Keshav were taking more time to clear files, Naidu noted that all the ministers should expedite the file clearance.
The Chief Minister said a 360-degree assessment of IAS officers would be prepared after obtaining feedback from various stakeholders.
Collectors at district-level & MLAs at constituency-level to make 4 village visits a month
He directed secretaries to undertake regular field visits, stressing that feedback from people was essential to improve the performance of the administration.
He further announced a one-month deadline for all government departments to shift completely to online file management. Maintaining manual files after the deadline would be viewed seriously, he warned, and directed officials to submit a report on manual file management within a month. Ministers were also asked to monitor the transition closely.
Naidu instructed collectors to focus on effective resolution of public grievances, use of technology in governance, and improving the government’s public perception. “PGRS applications should be resolved in a manner that satisfies the people,” he said, adding that regular field visits by collectors, MLAs and officials could help resolve a large number of local issues speedily.
Collectors at the district level, MLAs at the constituency level and officials at the mandal level should visit villages at least four times, and submit details of their field visits. A similar mechanism should be followed in municipalities, he said.
The Chief Minister said he was reviewing field-level issues through RTGS every Monday, and wanted the administration to remain responsive to problems reported by people.
Naidu called for technology integration across all government departments and wider adoption of deep-tech solutions. He is of the opinion that technology could help the government increase revenue, promote wealth creation and improve decision-making. He directed officials to ensure that accurate information was maintained in the Data Lake and that standard procedures were developed for its use.
“If the information available in the Data Lake is effectively utilised, quicker decisions can be taken,” he felt.
Officials who performed well should be identified and encouraged, while those who failed to deliver should be moved aside, the Chief Minister said.
Naidu also ordered rationalisation of staff working in Swarna Ward and village offices. He directed that an electric cycle be provided to each Swarna Ward and village office. He said the practice of assigning only one responsibility to each employee had resulted in an uneven distribution of workload, with some employees being overburdened while others had relatively little work.
The CM called for rationalisation of duties without disproportionately increasing the workload of employees.
