Naveen asks IAS officers to visit villages to prepare plans

In a bid to ensure that his government's flagship programmes benefit poor, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today asked secretaries to prepare five-year perspective plan for their respective departments and go to villages instead of functioning from state capital.

"The secretaries have been asked to prepare five-year perspective plan within 15 days in consultation with the ministers considered, Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy told reporters after the meeting.

Mr. Patnaik's direction to secreataries came after he cautioned the ruling BJD MLAs and ministers to work like "servants of people" instead of trying to rule over them.

Stating that programmes like Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, Madhubabu Pension Yojana (pension for old and invalid), Gopabandhu Gramin Yojana (rural development scheme), employment mission should be given priority, Mr. Patnaik asked officers to work with sincerity and efficiency to ensure that masses get benefit from "sadak, bijli and pani" programmes.

"We can not yield fruits of welfare schemes if officers make reviews in air-conditioned rooms. One has to go to people in their villages and ensure that schemes serve purpose," Mr. Patnaik told secretaries.

While directors/ chief engineers of all departments were asked to undertake at least 10 days field visits in a month, district collectors would have to visit all the blocks and tehsils headquarters at least once a month.

Similarly, senior officers of the rank of chief secretary, development commissioner and agriculture production commissioner were asked to monitor and review at least once in a month on the progress made on different schemes, sources said.

The chief minister said there should be good coordination between departments, directorates and collectorates. All departments were asked to keep management information system (mis) at places, they said.

Stress on grievance redressal mechanism, Mr. Patnaik also directed officials to operate grievance cells from block level to the state level on every saturday.