Key Points

It proposed the creation of an independent department for drainage and groundwater recharging for flood control by dividing the existing Irrigation Department into two entities.

Additionally, the report suggested the establishment of new institutions and the closure of redundant ones in several departments.

Except for two or three departments, the number of posts is expected to increase significantly in almost all other departments.

According to data available on the Human Resource Management System (HRMS), the commission has recommended creating 105,832 posts against the existing 104,980 posts in 21 departments.

The Rationalisation Commission recommended restructuring of government departments, boards and corporations to make these entities more efficient, transparent, and responsive to public needs.

Its Chairman, Rajan Gupta, presented the first set of 18 reports to the Chief Minister here, who subsequently directed the Chief Secretary and other officers to initiate immediate steps for its implementation.

The Chief Minister emphasised that five departments should be taken up on a pilot basis for their time-bound implementation.

The departments are Public Health Engineering, Irrigation, Mines and Geology, Horticulture, and Urban Local Bodies. Gupta said another set of five reports is nearly complete and will be submitted within a few days. The exercise of another 23 departments is at an advanced stage.

He apprised the Chief Minister that the commission aims to improve departmental efficiency by fully empowering the lowest levels of the departments that primarily interact with the public to be more responsive and accountable.

The commission has restructured all departments, from the lowest-level offices up to the office of the head of the department. It has recommended appropriate manpower, including IT and other technical staff, tailored to the requirements of each office level based on the nature of their duties.

- IANS