JOIN USIt seems the ever-increasing pile of files on the desk of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is giving him a headache.
Kejriwal, who has often claimed that he and his cabinet ministers put in 14 hours on official work, appears upset over the indecision of officials which results in almost every file landing up in his office.
The delay due to indecision in departments has slowed down work on a number of Budget proposals and issues related to drafting a new citizen charter, issuing of tender for free Wi-Fi facility, recruitment of new school teachers, installation of CCTV cameras in schools, making 50 schools model institutions, Yamuna revival and opening mohalla clinics only one of which has been started yet.
In a circular to all department heads, the Administrative Reform Department
has now reflected the Chief Minister’s concern and told officials to send only important issues’ files to Kejriwal’s office.
Kejriwal expressed his agony over the movement of files from the clerk upwards and observed that despite the documents going from deputy director, director, deputy secretary, additional secretary, additional secretary and joint secretary, the officials do not seem to be prepared to take any decision.
All officials just make their notings or observations on the file and pass it on to the next senior level and this is delaying decisions on important issues, the circular said.
Indecisive
The cabinet ministers were also nudged by Kejriwal for being indecisive on almost all matters and passing the files on to his office. An official said that the
Administrative Reforms Department has now decided to end the decades-old route
of file movement in the Delhi Secretariat and fixed a three-tier mechanism for decision making.
“The power to take financial decision is now likely to be given to department heads. Policy decisions are going to fall in the domain of joint secretary, secretary and cabinet minister,” he said.
Issues related to public dealing should be sorted out at any of the three levels, said the circular.
The Chief Minister has also insisted on fixing accountability of officials who do not follow the new file-movement pattern.
A senior official said the so-called indecision among the department heads was linked to the fear of getting involved into a controversy.
“Policy matters are left for the Chief Minister to take a
decision on. We do not want
to take a decision as there is
a possibility of facing allegations of wrongdoing,” said an official.
The official also added that they were regularly giving opinion on files and leaving a final decision on the ministers.
DH News Service