The Directives given by the Chief Minister on 19th August last, in the meeting of Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Deputy Commissioners and Managing Directors of Boards and Corporations have started yielding good results to deliver the goods to the people in an effective manner. To ensure that the directives given by the Chief Minister are implemented in the right perspective, Chief Secretary herself is monitoring the implementation of the directives. Within 24 hours of the meeting, the Chief Secretary issued instructions to the departments to implement the decisions taken in the meeting in a time bound manner in letter and spirit.
The bureaucracy perhaps has also understood the seriousness of the Chief Minister to ensure effective administration to the people. Within four days the Finance Department has issued instructions to all Secretaries, Heads of Departments to make all payments of Rs. 10,000 or above pertaining to contracts or purchase/procurement of goods/services by Core Banking to the contractors, suppliers and individuals. It has been desired that all departments would ensure that bank accounts and other banking details of such payees are obtained in advance in order to make electronic payments directly in their bank accounts.
Finance Department has also issued instructions that all payments to regular, contract, daily wage employees shall also be directly released by crediting to their bank accounts. All departments and organizations concerned would ensure that in future no payment was made in cash to the employees.
To bring efficiency in the functioning of offices, all the senior officers of the departments have been directed to carry out inspections of subordinate offices from time to time by making an annual schedule besides doing surprise checking from time to time.
To ensure that all works in the offices are done in a timebound manner, Deputy Commissioners have been made responsible to ensure efficient working of branches dealing with registration of vehicles, issue of licenses and also to exercise check on revenue officers responsible for mutation, partition cases and registration of documents. There will be no pendency beyond the time period fixed for the disposal of such matters.
All the departments have been asked to update and check cash books regularly. Amounts recovered as registration fees etc. must be deposited promptly in the banks so that there was no defalcation of funds. Block Development Officers have been directed to carry out regular checking of works executed through Panchayati Raj Institutions under MNREGA so as to ensure quality of works. All the departments especially Public Works Department have been asked to ensure that buildings, roads and other works are completed within period prescribed in the contract and ensuring that contractual conditions are fulfilled. Contracting officers will be responsible for it and delay if any would be viewed seriously. It has also been desired that the works which are completed and handed over, such accounts should be closed at once.
All the departments have been directed to see that whether purchase system needs to be looked into so as to ensure transparency. Procurement should take place only on quarterly, half yearly and yearly requirements of stores by adopting due procedure. Such departments which spent huge amount on procurement, inventory management should be computerized in a timebound manner. All the departments have been asked to ensure rotation of staff handling sensitive seats in the offices. Staff of various barriers, industrial areas should not remain posted for more than 2-3 years.
All the departments have been directed to ensure effective implementation of Himachal Pradesh Public Service Guarantee Act in the right perspective and further ensure that all works of the public are done within the timeframe. The defaulter, if any, should be dealt sternly under the rules.
The directives have been issued to all the officers to ensure discipline and punctuality in their offices. Transfer orders would be enforced at once and officials relieved of duty at once.
These directives of the Government besides ensuring efficient, transparent and responsive administration would also help in accelerating the pace of development in the State and fulfill the commitment of the State Government headed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister in this regard.
