DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday announced new directives issued by the Chief Secretary, Punjab under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Punjab to all the Deputy Commissioners of the state to take significant steps towards reinforcing effective governance and addressing the genuine concerns of its citizens through the "AAP DI SARKAR, AAP DE DWAR" program. This initiative aims to ensure effective governance and address the genuine concerns of people at the grassroots level.

Addressing a press conference here at Punjab Bhawan, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the directive mandates regular visits by the Deputy Commissioners to villages within their respective jurisdictions. He said that officials will dedicate four days a week?Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday?for this purpose. "During these visits, they are encouraged to cover three to four villages each day, to gradually reach all villages under their jurisdiction within two to three months", said Cheema.

Revealing the primary aim of these visits, Finance Minister said that the Deputy Commissioners will engage directly with the villagers, providing a platform for them to voice their grievances, and gather firsthand feedback on the performance of village-level government functionaries, including teachers and healthcare professionals etc. "Officials are also tasked with inspiring communities to maintain cleanliness in their villages, disseminate critical information to support the state's Yudh Nashian Virudh campaign, and promote youth engagement in sports and social development activities", said the Finance Minister while adding that this proactive approach is expected to channelize the energy of young individuals for the overall progress of the society.

The Finance Minister said that the directives also emphasized the importance of structured planning to ensure the effectiveness of these visits. He said the officials would schedule their visits in advance and provide adequate notice to the respective villages. He said that this initiative focuses on prompt grievance redressal and delivering government services at the doorstep of the citizens. "Public meetings will also be organized during these visits to foster direct interaction with the villagers, understand their concerns, and document their grievances meticulously", he added.

Emphasizing Inter-departmental coordination as a vital aspect of this initiative, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that based on the feedback and requirements shared by the villagers, concerned departments will be instructed to address their issues promptly. "Furthermore, officials are required to compile comprehensive reports on their visits. These reports will detail the grievances received, the actions taken to address them, and any further remedial measures suggested", said the Finance Minister while adding that the compiled reports will be submitted to both the Department of Removal of Public Grievances and the Chief Secretary's office for review.

(editor@dailyworld.in)