CS expresses concern, asks for sticking to time-frame
*Many communiqués since 2018 fail to streamline system
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 13: Several departments of the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are dragging feet on furnishing monthly achievements about developmental activities even after numerous communications and instructions from the General Administration Department in this regard. This has been viewed seriously by the Chief Secretary, who has issued stern warning for sticking to the time-frame.
Moreover, the Chief Secretary has expressed concern over delay in responding to the communications from Ministry of Home Affairs by the departments of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
The General Administration Department vide OM No. 44/2018-I dated September 1, 2018 had invited attention of all the Administrative Secretaries towards the decision of the Government about seeking information regarding major developmental activities and achievements on monthly basis.
All the Administrative Secretaries were told that monthly information on the subject be furnished to the Principal Secretary to the Government, Planning Development and Monitoring Department for the consolidation and its onward submission to the Principal Secretary to the Governor by 3rd of every month.
However, there was no strict compliance to this directive of the Government as only few departments started submitting monthly achievements about the developmental activities within the stipulated time-frame while as others were submitting several days beyond 3rd of every month.
This compelled the Government to issue fresh instructions vide Circular No.01-GAD dated January 1, 2019. Moreover, the Planning Development and Monitoring Department had conveyed that the departments were not furnishing monthly details/brief status note regarding major developmental activities and achievements as per the timelines thereby causing avoidable delay in the submission of report to the Governor’s Secretariat.
It was also specifically mentioned in the circular of January 1, 2019 that the delay in submission of monthly report to the Governor’s Secretariat was viewed seriously. Accordingly, all the Administrative Secretaries were directed to furnish the monthly information regarding major developmental activities invariably by 25th of every month so as to enable the Planning Development and Monitoring Department to submit a consolidated report to the Governor’s Secretariat by 3rd of every month.
However, despite numerous communications and instructions from the General Administration Department the situation has not improved and majority of Government departments are still dragging feet on submission of monthly progress reports about the developmental activities.
This can be gauged from the fact that in the recent meeting of the Administrative Secretaries, Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta conveyed serious concern over dilly-dallying approach of the majority of the Government departments in ensuring compliance of the repeated directives, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
“The Chief Secretary expressed concern on submission of monthly achievements for the month of November by only six departments and asked the remaining departments to ensure their submission within few days. Accordingly, he has directed the departments to ensure submission of achievements of the preceding month, positively by the first week of the following month”, sources said quoting the directions.
“The furnishing of monthly reports on developmental achievements in all the sectors is imperative as the same helps the Government in assessing the performance of the officers as well as identifying the bottlenecks impeding the works so that necessary corrective steps could be taken well in time and people start reaping benefits of the huge money being spent by the Union Government as well as Government of Jammu and Kashmir”, they said.
Moreover, the monthly reports are of immense help for the Government in making proper projection about the implementation of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes to the Government of India as the same is crucial for obtaining further financial assistance from the concerned Union Ministries, sources further said, adding “keeping in view the immense benefits of highlighting monthly achievements on the developmental activities the concerned Administrative Secretaries should ensure strict and timely compliance to all the circular instructions issued till date”.
Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary has expressed concern over delay in responding to the communications from Ministry of Home Affairs by the departments of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
“MHA is the controlling Ministry for the Union Territories and accordingly all communications from the Ministry must be responded with the desired urgency for which the Administrative Secretaries are required to personally monitor responses to these communications”, sources said quoting the directions of the Chief Secretary.
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