Patna, April 24: Nitish Kumar today decided to “democratise” monitoring of the delivery system of welfare schemes in the state. He asked district magistrates and SPs to hold joint janata durbars with MPs, MLAs and MLCs at least once a month to redress the grievances of the masses. Ministers and secretaries in charge of the districts concerned were also asked to participate in the durbars DMs and SPs hold.
The new directive came at a review meeting of all divisional commissioners, IGs, DIGs, DMs, SPs and principal secretaries of different departments. Chief minister Nitish Kumar chaired the meet in Patna. Chief secretary A K Sinha, principal home secretary Amir Subhani and DGP Abhayanand, too, attended.
Political analysts view this as a move to put bureaucrats and elected representatives in election mode (the belief being that general elections may be announced any time).
This step would ensure that local MPs, MLAs and MLCs pro-actively participate in execution and delivery of various welfare schemes in the state.
Nitish Kumar has apparently initiated this step to plug loopholes in welfare schemes, especially MNREGA and the Indira Awas Yojna. He had encountered a hail of protests during his Adhikar Yatra last year when people showed him black flags over rampant corruption in these schemes.
In another directive, the CM has asked officials to observe ‘MNREGA Diwas’ in every panchayat at least once a year. Unlike before, senior officials would now have to review accounts and working days of job card-holders on Panchayat Divas. Nitish also asked officials to evolve a mechanism to reduce the specified period of delivery of services to people under Right to Public Service (RTPS) Act.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, cabinet coordination department secretary Brajesh Mehrotra said the CM felt the need to augment the process so that the services could be delivered to applicants in the shortest possible time. Nitish asked officials to adopt “standard operating procedure” to settle issues related to land disputes, he said.
CM asked officials to create land banks at division, district, sub-division and block levels to augment the development process at grassroots level. The division-level land bank would have 100 acres, district-level land bank 50 acres, block-level land bank 25 acres and block-level land bank 50 acres respectively.
He also asked excise department officials to tighten the noose around illicit liquor manufacturers and dealers. “Intensify raids against illegal liquor vends and initiate stern action against the liquor mafia,” Nitish said.
He said stern action against illegal liquor manufacturers would save lives of innocents, who die in hooch deaths, while also increasing revenue.
Nitish also directed police officials to include cases of serious offences in the list of cases selected for speedy trial.
