Patna, July 30: The new NDA government has hit the ground running, evident from the offices filled on a Sunday with ministers and senior officials.
Six-time Gaya Town MLA Prem Kumar was one of the ministers who came to work today. Assigned the agriculture portfolio, the minister from the BJP camp reached his office in new secretariat around 11am, even as chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh convened a meeting with bureaucrats to apprise their new bosses about the works under way in their respective departments.
Am official in the agriculture department said: "We were surprised to see the minister in office on a Sunday. After a puja in his new office, he held a meeting with his officials and enquired about work in the department."
Prem directed his officials to reach out to the farmers and enquire about their problems, focus on bio-farming as stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and employ modern agriculture tools. The minister, who held portfolios in the NDA I and II governments in Bihar, also asked about the national food security mission, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana, skill development programme and others in the 90 minutes he spend in his office.
"According to the executive business rules, new ministers need to be briefed about work being done by their respective departments. They also need to be apprised about the various schemes being run by the departments," chief secretary Singh told The Telegraph after he convened the meeting with the different principal secretaries and secretaries. "The meeting had been convened to brief the departmental secretaries to do the needful."
The department heads have been directed to inform the ministers about the officers responsible for implementation of the various schemes.
Even though Singh maintained that Sunday's meeting was routine, those who attended it claimed it was more. "One thing is clear. The new government does not want to lose a single day on the work front. Else, this meeting would not have been convened on a Sunday when offices remain closed," said a principal secretary-rank officer who was at the meeting.
"We were also told that the government intended to convene the monsoon session of the state legislature soon so that it could get the legislative sanction for extra expenditure for various departments. Hence, the ministers must be in the know of all the details for facing the opposition during the proposed session."
The old and new secretariats were abuzz with activities. Many junior-rung officials were in their seats anticipating their bosses. In the education department, junior officials reached office to find that minister Krishnanandan Verma was on his way.
"I had to cancel my leave as we were informed that the new minister will join office," said an official who had to go to his village. "I had some important work in my village, but cancelled the trip."
Everyone in the education department stayed in till 3pm.
Health department's principal secretary R.K. Mahajan came to work and urban development officials prepared details on the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
One of the officials said: "The new minister (Suresh Sharma) will join tomorrow, so we are preparing details on the various schemes. As he is from the BJP, it is likely that he will take special attention of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation."
