New Delhi: Noting that it has become a fashion for district collectors to stick to table work, government on Monday asked them to ensure greater presence in the field to improve public service delivery in the country.
"Collectors got to devote more time in the field. Nowadays, it has become a fashion for a district collector, after passing out and completing mandatory training...To think that they have to do table work.
"They are not meant for table work. They are meant for field work and they should ensure that tehsildar, revenue and other office under him functions. Apart from that he has to ensure that all district heads are doing respective work," Minister of State for Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions V Narayanasamy told a conference of states and union territories on administrative reforms.
Emphasising on the importance of a district administration in proper implementation of various programmes, he said, "When a collector goes to a district and people there find that he is delivering services to the satisfaction of the people, he will become very popular.
"In fact, I know some cases where a district collector who has been working for two-three years, who has been effective and has taken care of people`s needs especially in the public service delivery, providing electricity, water supply, sanitation and hospital facility," the Minister said.
"When he (collector) works, the people of the district recognise his services. That is really what we want to convey," Narayansamy said after inaugurating the day-long conference of Secretaries of Administrative Reforms.
He said the role played by the state governments and union territories in bringing out reforms in governance are essential in public service delivery.
Narayansamy noted that people today are disgusted about the public service delivery system. "A collector has to chase a petition. He has to ensure public service delivery. He has to give relief in the given time frame," the Minister said.
He said if a collector works, the government will be benefited as the policy or programme of the government is implemented at the ground level. "People will get the advantage. The standard of the people will improve and by that the administration will get benefited," Narayanasamy said.
To see that public service delivery works is the job of the district administration.
"This is not the job of the politician. They will come and go but the district administration or collector is the person which will see the prosperity of the state," he said.
Narayanasamy also expressed concern over irregularities in implementation of Centre`s flagship programmes including the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGA), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and asked the district administration to take necessary measures.
"Majority of states are implementing. There are some irregularities in some districts, some states. If these schemes are implemented properly in states, people will get employment. People`s livelihood will also change after they get regular income under it," he added.
The Minister also expressed concern over the absence of some of the states and asked officials to write to their respective chief secretaries about it.
The conference will discuss ways to improve public service delivery and make the administration effective, transparent, accountable and citizen-friendly.
PTI
