Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered top officials to get out of their AC cabins and visit field offices to get a sense of the impact of Govt. policies have on the people. He said that all policies will remain on paper only unless we know the situation first hand. He asked bureaucrat Chief Secretary MM Kutty to ensure that all Secretary-level officers spend at least half a day every week in the field and submit the respective reports.
Mr. MM Kutty had received another letter from Arvind Kejriwal asking him to take action against officers responsible for the bills of suppliers to govt. run hospitals not being paid, which he said has caused a medicine shortage. It sent out the message that the bureaucracy will be held accountable for lapses. In another order, Mr. Kejriwal has asked the Public Works Department secretary to personally oversee the cleaning of drains and other areas in the capital.
Perhaps the energetic stress on good governance comes in Kejriwal’s mind after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s debacle in the Delhi civic elections last month. They experienced another huge loss in Goa and Punjab elections also. In a post-mortem of the poll losses, CM Kejriwal has reportedly learned that his ministers and officers are seen to have been non-performers, when in fact, they allege, they have been unable to get work done because much of the official control is with the Lieutenant Governor, the Centre’s representative in Delhi.
The CM Kejriwal also has feedback that his constant carping against PM Modi over the Centre’s control on the capital has not worked in his favor. Earlier people were saying his party as with an anti-corruption party, but now they are saying it’s an anti-Modi party. So the Chief Minister Kejriwal has now changed tack and is directly asking officials to implement all the good decision. He has also instructed his ministers and top officers to make as many field visits as possible.
Kejriwal, last week, revived an old practice, now discontinued, of officials setting aside an hour every day to meet people without any appointment. “All senior officers must get out of their AC chambers and visit their field offices to get the first-hand experience of the impact of government policies. Unless we know the actual situation, all the policies will remain on paper only”. Kejriwal Said. He has asked the chief secretary to meet direct the secretary of their respective departments to spend some time and submit a report. This will help in governance.
Mr. Kejriwal has been targeted by the opposition for not having any portfolio and not managing the routine affairs of Delhi government. After the defeat in Delhi’s municipal election, Kejriwal has taken again the charge of governance in the city by reviewing various departments.
