Itanagar
Chief Minister Pema Khandu today called upon the state government bureaucrats to change their mind-sets as well as help change the mind-set of the people in the crusade against ‘corruption’.
Attending the 11th Civil Service Day celebration at Banquet Hall here this morning, Khandu said the perception of corruption as granted is due to accumulation of misgivings through the years.
“Corruption begins at all levels including the people. The fault lies in the mind-set. Everybody takes for granted everybody is corrupt. We have to change this mind-set if we want to deliver a corruption free governance,” he pointed.
With the change in mind-set will come a genuine work atmosphere, Khandu said and underscored the importance of a working atmosphere that will lead to work culture and proper service delivery.
“To improve service delivery to the people, the state government has enacted the Public Service Delivery Act 2015. I call upon the concerned departments to complete all formalities as soon as possible for the act to be notified and implemented,” he said.
Specifically speaking to local civil servants, the Chief Minister reiterated that as indigenous citizens they have more responsibility towards governance. He called upon them to utilize their long experience in service and help and guide the government in forming long term policies for welfare of the people and development of the state.
Khandu dwelt in detail about the benefits of paperless office, which he has been stressing from day one.
“Corruption has an uncanny knack of making entry through files and notes. Once we go paperless everything will be in place and there would remain no scope for corruption in passage of files as everything will be in digital format,” he asserted. Khandu appealed all the departments to coordinate with the department of Information Technology, which is implementing the e-office project of the government.
Citing another hindrance on efficient service delivery, the Chief Minister observed that many rules and regulations framed and implemented years ago – some even before Independence – have more or less become irrelevant in today’s context. These rules, he pointed, framed to benefit people have today actually become major hindrances in service delivery.
“Such rules, if any, that are bottlenecks in smooth functioning of office need to be intimated and done away with as per law,” Khandu said.
He encouraged the civil servants to take risks and go for innovative approaches and methods to make governance easily accessible.
“The biggest risk is not to take risks! If we really want to outgrow others we need to take risks and adopt new approaches,” Khandu observed.
He also added that in a government civil servants are the most powerful but with this power comes great responsibilities with more accountability and assured full support to honest and sincere officers.
To commemorate the day, the first ever CM’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration was announced. In the individual categories Ashish Kundra, Commissioner Finance; for bringing in innovative reforms, and Habung Lampung, CMEO, Itanagar Municipal Council; for the cleanliness drive, were bestowed with the award. Department of Information Technology was chosen for the award in the team/organization category for its efforts in digitalization of governance in the state.
Special Guest on the occasion Social Activist and former Chairperson of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) Jarjum Ete spoke on gender issues besides the Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary and the PCCF.
Power-point presentations were made by Water Resources department on Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojna (PMKSY), IT department on civil services and e-governance and by General Administration on the Chief Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration.
