Govt starts process to abolish redundant boards, corps

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 8

Based on suggestions from administrative secretaries of the departments, the Punjab Government has started the process of abolishing redundant organisations, boards, corporations and societies and creating alternative fronts to deal with the current and future needs.

2017 white paper had sought revamp

  • Punjab has 55 boards and corporations, besides Cooperative Apex Institutions, including Markfed, Sugarfed, Milkfed, Housefed, Punjab State Co-operative Bank and Punjab State Co-operative Agriculture Development Bank
  • A white paper of the Punjab Government in 2017 pointed out that a majority among them were suffering from different financial ills and required a revamp

The development comes in response to a recent communication from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) seeking suggestions for providing an efficient, transparent and people-friendly administration. Besides the process of winding up unnecessary offices, the government has started the process of reengineering the department functioning by removing redundant processes, simplifying overall workflow and expediting decision-making.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has also asked the officers to relook into the existing programmes and proposals to make the process more financially viable after cutting unnecessary costs. Making system transparent and free of corruption with time-bound delivery of services is the underlying message.

The note has asked for workable proposals for rationalisation of the existing staff. They have been asked to work on skill upgrade to deal with changing requirements.

A Principal Secretary said: “In context of how the information technology has become a part of our daily life, first of all we need to sieve the unnecessary paperwork still prevalent in our offices. Despite computerisation in most of our departments, people still have to carry the papers. Making offices paperless and reducing direct public interaction will be the most significant contribution for public welfare by our government.”

The administrative secretaries have been asked to take the heads of department, field officers and the stakeholder public, into confidence, before sending their work plans in not more than two-three pages. The plans will be divided into three categories ndash; short-term (workable within three months), medium (maximum two years) and long term (two and five years).

An attempt was made towards staff rationalisation in 2021 when CM Capt Amarinder Singh asked the Additional Chief Secretary (Power) to examine the model of the school department for rationalising excessive staff. However, there have been no mentionable results. Even in schools, president of the Democratic Teachers Front, Vikram Dev Singh said: “When we don’t have minimum teaching staff for schools there is no question of any rationalisation. The government finished posts in a number of schools after transfers.”

Govt starts process to abolish redundant boards, corps
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