The State Government has asked all its departmental heads and other officials to file monthly progress report on major developmental activities in their respective departments , why should the same not be submitted without fail? Again, why should there be no response even after repeated instructions and reminders from the concerned authorities?
Such an uncalled for attitude is unwarranted and is tantamount to daring flouting of directives of the Government and technically speaking, making the defaulters themselves ineligible to receive salaries from the public exchequer. Our concern is not to the extent of highlighting the goings on in almost all departments run by the State as in the instant case, but also to bring home to such officials that it is the magnanimity of the Government and its top concerned bureaucratic hierarchy in not invoking the covenants of pay only against work done in full and that does not mean directives of the Government can be afforded to conveniently ignored and not cared for. There are various centrally sponsored schemes going on in the state and the levels of their implementation and the progress of work and areas of weaknesses and shortcomings could only be known if relevant data duly consolidated reached the concerned ministries and sponsoring agencies only when their status was regularly submitted.
For what purpose have the appointment of Nodal Officers in all wings of the State Government been conceived and why are they not appointed in all departments and wherever the ones have been appointed, why have they not been advised about their critical role in matters of coordination and rapport with Planning , Development and Monitoring Departments in this regard? It is absolutely not optional , not in the least, that information collected from various departments is needed to be submitted in a consolidated manner to the designated state authority , in the instant matter ,to the Principal Secretary to the Governor by 3rd of every month. There being explicit and clear cut instructions from the Government in this regard. We have reports that the requisite information in respect of most of the period of 2018 is still not submitted not to speak of relating to the current year. Excepting taking a ‘serious note’ by the Governor’s Secretariat for causing inordinate delays, dilly dallying and even ignoring in respect of furnishing such information on monthly basis followed by issuing of yet many reminders, nothing else as required under rules and procedures is done.
We would stress upon the urgency of exhibiting a culture of pure business by the Government in matters of administration and linking payment of salaries and allowances with the work or the assignment done by the state officials and not merely subject their inaction to the extent of issuing reminders and circulars alone. The slogan of good governance or performance is “perform or perish” . The message is clear and irreversible and needs to be effectively convened to the non performing officials of the State departments.