Srinagar, May 09 (Scoop News) – Following the Annual Darbar Move, Jammu and Kashmir Civil Secretariat resumed functioning in Srinagar today. On this occasion Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today urged the Council of Ministers and Administrative Secretaries to focus on good delivery of governance, administration and development.
Addressing the joint meeting of Council of Ministers and Administrative Secretaries here on the first day of opening of offices after Annual Darbar Move, the Chief Minister said that the vision envisioned by the political dispensation for all round development of the State has to be realized and implemented by the administration putting in befitting efforts.
“Attention to the public requirements should be the first response of the Political Dispensation and Civil Administration keeping law and order machinery on back seat”, he said. “The day to day grievances of people on account of electricity, drainage, roads, water supply, etc should be addressed by the concerned departments on priority and promptly without getting these inflated as law and order problems”, he asserted.
“When competence, experience and judgment are put together to address the issues and carry forward the development agenda, there should be no option of any failure on the part of administration”, he said adding that any administrative lapse ultimately finds its way to the political dispensation and ends at the door steps of the Chief Minister. “Any failure starts with you and ends up with me”, he said stressing on pro-active dealing by the administration to ensure meaningful results of schemes for public good and responding to the public needs.
“I do not shy away from responsibility and admitting mistakes if any. I also do not believe in micro-managing. My over all job is to feed the directions. The Ministers and the Administrative Secretaries are competent enough to deliver effectively and efficiently”, he said adding that the ultimate goal should be to reach out the people and ensure success of development process.
On Panchayat elections, the Chief Minister said that the transfer of functions, functionaries and funds should follow the elections. He directed the Urban Development Secretary to formulate the schedule for the elections to the urban local bodies adding that the current fiscal should be the year of empowering people at lower levels and strengthening the democratic institutions.
Omar Abdullah underlined the need for operationalizing the Public Service Guarantee Act to ensure timeline delivery of important services to the people adding that it would make the administration prompt and help curb red tap and malpractices. He asked for strict adherence to the procedures and rules by the government departments while making decisions regarding the development works. “Temptation of taking easy routes often land us in trouble while tougher routes make the tasks perfect”, he said asking for measures to effectively curb the corrupt practices at all levels.
“People have enormous expectations with the government and they have faith that the delivery of services on all fronts would improve year after year. We have to come up to their expectations and be pro-active and responsive to the public requirements”, he said.
The Chief Minister specifically directed the R&B department for taking measures for early completion of road upgradation and improvement works in Srinagar city. “I know the people in the city face lot of inconvenience for want of good road communication. The last year’s unrest has caused great harm to the development of road sector. I want immediate action this year to set the roads right and redress the grievances of citizens”, he directed.
Highlighting the importance of regular tours by the Administrative Secretaries to the villages and far-off areas, Omar Abdullah said that the first hand information gathered during the visits would help them work out area specific and need based development strategies. He said that he has also asked the Ministers to make tours to various areas as a regular feature of their working schedule. He, however, said that the tours by the officers should not hamper the working at their headquarters. “You have to balance your visits with the working load at the headquarters”, he told the Administrative Secretaries.
Speaking in the meeting Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand said that the development strategy of the coalition government has started showing results on grounds and further impetus is required to push up the pace on works.
Tara Chand said that the last year’s losses due to disturbance have to be made good by putting in additional efforts and gearing up administration at all levels. He said the Omar Abdullah led government is committed to the welfare and equitable development of the State and administration has an important role to play in this direction.
Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal in his speech presented the resume of development agenda and said that the next six months would be focused on faster development. He pinpointed the guidelines for carrying forward the development process and reaching out the people in all areas on development fronts.
All the members of council of ministers and administrative secretaries were present in the meeting.
On his arrival in the Civil Secretariat, the Chief Minister was received by the Members of Council of Ministers, senior officers and representatives of employees union. He was given guard of honour by the J&K Police contingent. He also addressed a press conference.
The Chief Minister inaugurated Core Computer Centre in Planning Department, Computerized Clerical Halls of AIR, Education and Health Departments. He also opened 16-room Forest and Rural Development Unit besides 11-room block for Education Department in the Civil Secretariat. These constructions have been made by the Estates Department during the last six months at a cost of about Rs. 2 crores.