The Honourable Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao instructed the officers concerned that a Revenue Act, a new Municipal Act and Telangana Urban Policy has to be brought in to provide corruption free, hassle free services to the people better than now. The Telangana Urban Policy needs to be drafted keeping in view the idea of developing the urban areas. He said that under the leadership of the District Collector or the District Administrative officer (whatever might be the nomenclature), an IAS officer, an effective official system has to be established consisting of important officers who would be known as an Additional Collector or Additional District Administrative Officers which would work as a team. The CM explained that this official team would be responsible for sanctioning of layouts and assessment of properties, mutations etc. The CM also said that on the lines of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) it may be contemplated to create the Telangana State Administrative Service.
The CM held a high-level review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan on Friday afternoon on formulation of new Revenue Act and new Municipal Act. Ministers Erraballe Dayakar Rao, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, V Srinivas Goud, Council Whip Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MPs BB Patil, Kotha Prabhakar Reddy MLAs K T Rama Rao, Balk Suman, Vivekanand Goud, MLC Bhanu Prasad, Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, Chief Secretary SK Joshi, Senior officers S Narsing Rao, Sunil Sharma, Arvind Kumar, Smita Sabarwal, Nitu Prasad and Secretary Legislature Niranjan Rao and others Participated in the meeting.
“There cannot be a greater responsibility than providing better and qualitative services to the people by peoples representatives and officers. People should get their work done in government offices without paying even a single rupee as bribe. In Revenue offices, Municipalities and Village Panchayats people should be able to get their works done without bribing anyone. For this effective and strong Acts are to be formulated. Unfortunately, due to the irresponsibility’s of political parties the local self – government system have degenerated. They are to be made as effective working administrative divisions. The Zilla Parishads and the Mandal Parishads should have clarity about their roles and responsibilities. By creating new districts, new divisions, new mandals, new municipalities and new village panchayats, we have brought administrative reforms. It is only when in these offices people get their work done without any scope for corruption then the objective of these reforms will be fulfilled” said CM.
“Day in and day out I have been receiving complaints from the people in large numbers. Their grievance is that they are not able to get their works done in government offices unless they bribe. They are blaming the government. Why should the government be cursed like this? Why should people bribe the officers? We should bring a corruption free system. For this effective and strong Acts are to be formulated and to be implemented. A stage has to come where in Revenue department, registration department, municipalities and village panchayats people should be able to get their works done without bribing even a single rupee. For this the government is prepared to do anything” detailed the CM about the government’s decision.
A powerful official body has to be there headed by District Chief Administrative Officer and consisting of senior officers of the district at the district level. The Collector’s nomenclature came into vogue when there was land revenue collection as well as collection of water cess. We are still calling by the same name. In the changed circumstances should we still continue with the word Collector or change it as District Administrative Officer? A five – six-member official team has to be established at the district level under the leadership of collector or District Administrative Officer. They are to be allocated certain departments to handle exclusively. Each and every important work at the district level has to be handled and supervised by this team under the leadership of an IAS officer at the district level. It would be the responsibility of this officer to implement the government schemes and programmes, provide services to the people without any problem, initiate steps against those who indulge in corruption and negligence of duty. The roles and responsibilities of Collector/District Administrative Officer, Additional Collector/Additional Administrative Officer has to be clearly drafted. Layouts permissions, assessment of properties and others such regulated works have to be carried out by the team headed by the IAS officer who will be the Collector or District Administrative Officer. On the lines of Indian Administrative Service by creating Telangana State Administrative Service it has to be examined for provision of effective Administrative system in tune with the conditions existing in the State” said the CM.
The CM suggested that on the lines of District Administrative machinery under the leadership of an IAS officer at the district level, even at the State level there is a need to have an official mechanism consisting of the important senior officers under the leadership of Chief Secretary. Additional Chief Secretaries are to be appointed under the control of Chief Secretary and they are to be given different departments. The work of the team at the district level under the leadership of district level IAS officer has to be monitored by the Chief Secretary and take decisions from time to time as needed said the CM.
The CM has also said that the Municipalities, Corporations, Village Panchayats has to concentrate more and more on sanitation, greenery and provision of civic amenities at their respective levels. He said that in every gram panchayat there has to be necessarily Vykunta Dhamam. He said that nurseries are also to be the responsibilities of village panchayat. The CM wanted that in sanctioning permissions and issue of certificates there cannot be any slackness. CM also said that the official machinery should be accountable to the people and there has to be a provision to impose fine on those who are responsible for slackness. CM wanted that all these are to be incorporated in the new Municipal Act.
“In Telangana the Urban population is growing rapidly. The Telangana Urban Policy should be drafted in such a way the needs of the people in urban areas will be addressed. For GHMC and HMDA which are concerned to the Greater Hyderabad there need to be a special policy. Similarly, for developing other towns and cities the Telangana Urban Policy should be drafted. While drafting the policy the requirements of people for the current and for future are to be taken into consideration and accordingly it has to be drafted” said the CM.
