Bhubaneswar: January 02:
For the first time in the history of Odisha administration, a woman IAS officer has been appointed as the Chief Secretary. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, congratulated Anu Garg after she took over the charge as Chief Secretary of Odisha. Less than 24 hours after she took over as the state’s top bureaucrat, Chief Minister has handed over a 15-point list of administrative reforms to her. This is being said to be a ‘Master Plan’ of the Chief Minister to make the government machinery more agile and people-oriented from the new year.
The question then arises, will the Odisha administration, which has been stuck in the middle of complicated red tape, Baburaj for years, be reformed by this 15-point directive? Whether this approach of the Chief Minister is just a political message or a strong idea to bring administrative cleanliness, is now being discussed from the secretariat to the block level.
On the first day of the English New Year, Chief Secretary Anu Garg met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and discussed various issues in the presence of senior officers of the Chief Minister’s Office. After the meeting, Chief Minister’s Public Relations Officer has given information about these 15-point guidelines to various media representatives.
In order to make the administration more people-oriented and dynamic, Chief Minister Shri Majhi has written a letter to the state’s first woman Chief Secretary Anu Garg and has given these 15-point guidelines, which is said to be a blueprint for the future development of Odisha.
In this 15-point order, Chief Minister Majhi has taken a tough stance against corrupt and inefficient officials. The government has emphasized the service of efficient and trained officials and has suggested identifying corrupt, inefficient and irresponsible officials and employees as per Article 311 of the Constitution and the Odisha Services Rules. The Chief Minister has also directed to take strict action against the inefficient and corrupt, including compulsory exit from service, and also to fill all vacant government posts within two years. So, the real challenge will be how transparent and timely this process is.
The Chief Minister’s directive to make the use of Odia language mandatory at the administrative level and to seek redressal against violators seems to be an attempt to emphasize the ‘Odia Asmita ‘ of the state government.
Chief Minister Majhi has prepared a blueprint to reduce the distance between the administration and the people by suggesting to expedite the hearing of public grievances from the secretariat to the block level and to use social media.
Chief Minister Shri Majhi has put pressure on the state’s first woman Chief Secretary Anu Garg to make the administration more responsive by giving her 15-point guidelines on the first day. With this 15-point guideline of the Chief Minister and the dream of development of Odisha in it, Anu Garg also has a golden opportunity to prove her mettle.
