*CS to make presentation on key sectors before Budget Session
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 7: Taking serious note of several vital institutions remaining defunct during the past quite long time, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has decided to infuse new lease of life in all such bodies within shortest possible time so as to ensure good governance and necessary directions have been issued to the concerned authorities in this regard.
Mufti Sayeed, who is strong votary of removing trust deficit in Government institutions, has also made it clear to all the Administrative Secretaries that they would be directly held responsible for lack of accountability at any level in their respective departments.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has directed Chief Secretary to initiate steps on priority basis so that several institutions, which are pivotal for ensuring effective governance but were allowed to suffocate for obvious reasons, are infused with new blood. Among such institutions, the Chief Minister has prioritized State Accountability Commission and Public Service Commission.
“The revival of Accountability Commission is imperative to achieve the objective of eradicating the menace of corruption, favouritism and nepotism besides to maintain probity, transparency and improving the efficiency in public services”, the Chief Minister has reportedly told the Chief Secretary.
This vital Commission was established in Jammu and Kashmir during Mufti Sayeed’s first stint as Chief Minister of the State in the year 2002 and he doesn’t want this important organization to die prematurely, sources said, adding “very shortly Law Department will submit a panel of retired High Court Judges for appointment for the posts of Chairperson and Members of the Accountability Commission”.
Like Accountability Commission, the process for reviving ‘defunct’ Public Service Commission will also be set into motion very shortly as necessary information in this regard has already been sought by the Chief Minister from the concerned authorities.
It is pertinent to mention here that Law Department has already prepared a list of retired High Court judges, who can be considered for appointments in the vital Commissions like Accountability Commission, State Human Rights Commission and Backward Classes Commission besides for the institution to monitor implementation of Public Service Guarantee Act.
According to the sources, the Chief Minister has also taken seriously the gaps in the implementation of various schemes and has issued directions to the concerned Administrative Secretaries for filling up of the same promptly so that deserving people could get the benefits of the same.
“You are the eyes and ears of the Government and the Government’s performance would be judged through your performance as such there is no scope for any laxity”, sources said quoting the words of advice of the Chief Minister to the Administrative Secretaries.
Mufti Sayeed has also directed the Administrative Secretaries to strictly follow the rules, ensure transparency and don’t succumb to any unwarranted pressure from any quarter as any wrong step would earn bad name to the present dispensation, which has been mandated by the people to provide much needed relief on different fronts, sources further said.
All the Administrative Secretaries have been made it clear that for lack of accountability and transparency at any level in their respective departments they would be held responsible as such they must ensure that officers and officials not only in the Civil Secretariat but in the Subordinate Offices in the fields function with the sole objective of providing relief to the people, they added.
Having all the feed-back about difficulties being faced by the people in key sectors like Health, Education, Power, Food and Supplies and Public Health Engineering, Chief Minister has sought detailed note about the functioning of these departments from the Chief Secretary. “He has desired to get entire Cabinet acquainted about the problems, which have crippled the key sectors well before the start of Budget Session so that new Government’s road-map to overcome the difficulties is prepared and presented before the Legislature”, sources said.
According to the sources, Chief Minister has observed that despite huge man power Government educational institutions have failed to compete with the private institutions and corrective steps are required to be taken in this regard. Similarly, he has desired to ascertain the difficulties in providing proper medicare to the people despite huge Central funding in this sector.
“The Chief Minister also wanted to chalk out a strategy so that potential available for generating power in a time-bound manner is tapped and Chief Secretary, while making presentation about the power sector, would make detailed disclosure about the steps taken in this regard till date and the outcome of the same”, sources said.
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