Mr Kejriwal has also instructed his ministers to make as many field visits as possible. (File)
Highlights
- Field visits will ensure policies are implemented, says Arvind Kejriwal
- Public Works Department secretary to oversee cleaning of drains in Delhi
- Secretary-level officers will spend half-a-day every week in the field
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has ordered Delhi's top officials to get out of their air-conditioned chambers and visit field offices to get a sense of the impact that government policies have on the people.
"Unless we know the situation first hand, all policies will remain on paper only," the Chief Minister has said in a directive to Delhi's most senior bureaucrat Chief Secretary MM Kutty, asking him to ensure that all Secretary-level officers spend at least half a day every week in the field and submit reports.
Only yesterday, Mr Kutty had received another letter from Mr Kejriwal asking him to take action against officers responsible for the bills of suppliers to government run hospitals not being paid, which he said has caused a medicine shortage. It sent out the message that the bureaucracy would be held accountable for lapses.
In another order he has asked the Public Works Department secretary to personally oversee the cleaning of drains in the capital.
Arvind Kejriwal's energetic stress on good governance comes after his Aam Aadmi Party's debacle in the Delhi civic elections last month. It followed humiliating defeats in Punjab and Goa, elections, to campaign for which the Chief Minister was conspicuously missing from Delhi for weeks.
In a post-mortem of the poll losses, Mr Kejriwal has reportedly learnt that his government and ministers are seen to have been non-performers, when in fact, they allege, they have been unable to get work done because much of the administrative control is with the Lieutenant Governor, the Centre's representative in Delhi.
The Chief Minister also has feedback, sources said, that his constant carping against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre's control on Delhi has not worked in his favour, with many now calling AAP, once seen as an anti-corruption party, an anti-Modi party.
So the Chief Minister has now changed tack and is directly tasking officials to implement decision.
Mr Kejriwal has also instructed his ministers to make as many field visits as possible.
Last week, he revived an old practice, now discontinued, of officials and ministers setting aside an hour every day to meet people without an appointment.