Six months on, Kerala CM Satheesan sets pace for bureaucratic reforms
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 9
On the eve of completing six months in office, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is stepping up his efforts to improve the functioning of the state administration, with a focus on faster file clearance, public grievance redressal, and better implementation of government schemes.
Satheesan, who had no previous experience as a minister before taking over as Chief Minister, has so far made a positive impression with the way he has handled the new responsibility.
On Monday, he convened a special meeting of departmental Secretaries and issued a series of directives aimed at making the bureaucracy more accountable and efficient.
The meeting comes close on the heels of a major bureaucratic reshuffle last week, in which 35 IAS officers were transferred.
The latest initiative signals the government's intention to follow up the administrative changes with closer monitoring of the departments.
One of the key decisions is to hold a meeting of departmental Secretaries every month to review the functioning of their departments and improve file management.
The Chief Minister said steps would be taken to streamline files and reduce the workload of Secretaries to ensure more efficient processing.
He also wants Artificial Intelligence to be explored to improve the 'Janasparsham' file adalat, which is intended to provide speedy and effective solutions to public complaints.
The Chief Minister asked departments to make maximum use of schemes launched by the Centre.
They were also told to assess the progress of existing schemes and speed up their implementation.
Satheesan further directed Secretaries to expedite his government's flagship programmes and regularly monitor their progress.
Another area of concern is the delay in resolving legal issues relating to files in various departments.
He called for special attention and timely intervention to ensure that such matters do not hold up administrative decisions.
The latest measures indicate that Satheesan is seeking to move beyond bureaucratic reshuffles and establish a regular system of review and accountability.
For a Chief Minister without prior ministerial experience, the coming months will be crucial in translating these administrative initiatives into visible improvements in governance and service delivery.
— IANS
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