Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 11: Maintaining that the ultimate goal of development projects is to ensure benefits to the people on ground, Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal today said that monitoring mechanism should necessarily incorporate the outcome and results associated with the works.
“Government wants to percolate benefits to people at grass root level, as such Administrative Secretaries should sensitize the officials at all levels to focus on the outcome of the schemes”, he added.
Chairing the periodic meeting of Committee of Secretaries here today, the Chief Secretary called for fixing parameters to measure the desired outcomes. He told the Administrative Secretaries to pinpoint major projects for this purpose and monitor these in all respects. He said that this would also serve as a message to the functionaries to pursue the goal as per the expected outcomes.
Madhav Lal directed for taking proactive measures to disseminate information regarding development scenario. He underlined the importance of launching and updating departmental websites and e-portals, adding that the information should also be made available to the public in vernacular languages as well.
On the human resource front, while noting that there has been some improvement, he added a lot of work remains to be done. He called for regular updating of seniority lists, submitting APRs, convening of DPCs, filling up vacancies, effecting promotions and attending to other administrative matters relating to the welfare of the employees and strengthening of the departments. He asked the Administrative Secretaries to personally oversee and guide the sub-ordinate departmental units in this regard.
The Chief Secretary reviewed the progress of Public Service Guarantee Act (PSGA) and said that the Government is contemplating to bring more public services under its ambit.
Meanwhile, Madhav Lal asked the Revenue Department to come up to the mark in conferring statutory powers to officials posted as Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Additional Deputy Commissioners, etc.
The Chief Secretary chairing a meeting on this subject said that conferring of statutory powers to concerned officers is necessary to make the new administrative units function promptly and effectively and address the people’s problems. He gave directions to the Revenue Secretary for issuing orders for conferring the requisite statutory power on the officials on the basis of designated posts rather than on individual capacity.
In another meeting, Madhav Lal emphasized the need for roping in non-governmental expert agencies in the capacity building of Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the State.
Chief Secretary was informed that the Rural Development Department has so far undertaken capacity building through IMPA and SIRDs located in five different States.
It was decided in the meeting that Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) will be contacted and asked to organize workshops on capacity building of PRIs in the State. The expected outcomes of the workshops would help to bring in greater professionalism in capacity building efforts. It will also help to gain from experience of other States, prepare training material and address the institutional and procedural issues of establishing better interface between the Government machinery and elected representatives.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, B. B. Vyas, Director General IMPA, Pramod Jain, Commissioner Secretary Rural development, Farooq Ahmad Peer and other officers.
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