Expressing his frustration over the delay in clearing files, Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Monday directed senior bureaucrats to cut red tape and coordinate between departments and within departments. He also called upon them to implement budget programmes ahead of next Assembly elections.
Addressing a conference bureaucrats in the State secretariat, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Chief Executive Officers of zilla panchayat, Mr. Shettar expressed disappointment over the way bureaucrats were handling issues affecting the people and sought their cooperation in implementing programmes to improve the image of the Bharatiya Janata Party government. He reviewed progress of works in some key departments.
Ministers R. Ashok, S. Suresh Kumar, Basavaraj Bommai, B.N. Bache Gowda, V. Somanna, Sogadu Shivanna, Shobha Karandlaje, Ramadas, and B.J. Puttaswamy were present. It is Mr. Shettar’s second interaction with bureaucrats in the last four months after assuming the office of Chief Minister.
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Admitting that administrative machinery had failed in tackling garbage issue in Bangalore city, he attributed it to “lack of foresight”. Noting that the issue posed a challenge to bureaucrats, he said that there was a need for them to handle the crisis with “tact”. “If the authorities are determined, they can find a permanent solution,” he noted.
However, he asserted that after two months of continuous effort, the problem was under control and situation would improve by next week, as fresh tenders had been floated to clear the garbage. “The onus to retain image of Bangalore, as ‘clean IT city’ in the international circuit now lies on the officials,” he observed.
Mr. Shettar called upon the authorities in local bodies of tier-two cities to gear up to tackle the issue with the help of technology.
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‘Dynamism needed’
Mr. Shettar’s frustration was visible when he expressed regret over inordinate delay in clearing files. Directing the authorities to follow “corporate” model in decision-making, he asked the Secretaries to summon district level officials to the Vidhana Soudha to take a final call on contentious issue. “Dynamism in administration could only be achieved through inter-personal relationship,” he said.
He had observed that officials were takings months to sort out a minor issue. “I don’t want that to continue,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister said for successful implementation of government schemes, improving efficiency in Deputy Commissioner’s office and tahsildar’s office was mandatory. The image of the government depended on how they implemented various schemes, he noted.
Underlining the need to implement the programmes announced in the budget, he said that there was no fund crunch for the programmes announced in the budget.
Sand extraction
Taking exception for officials discriminating in booking cases against illegal transportation of sand, Mr. Shettar regretted that while there was “erratic” booking of cases in some districts, authorities were mute spectators in others. “There is an urgent need for inter-departmental coordination to regulate the extraction and transportation of sand”, he noted. Expressing his discontentment over government losing cases in various courts, he attributed the failure to inadequate information being given to advocates. Authorities should take the issue seriously and find an appropriate solution, he said.
However, appreciating the way officials handling Cauvery and bird flu crisis, Mr. Shettar said that, authorities handled the issue without leading to any kind of controversy. He appealed them to address problems such as payment of pension under social security schemes and issue of BPL cards. “Sakala, the citizen charter scheme, has brought good name to the government”, he added.