KCR directs officials to ensure corruption-free admin in new districts

Hyderabad: Stating that corruption still rules the roost in some departments, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Thursday directed officials to ensure people-centric, transparent, hassle-free and corruption-free administration in the new districts. He suggested establishment of need-based departments and staff in new districts and not a uniform setup.

“Corruption still exists in some departments. People are facing problems due to this. We need reforms here, especially in the Revenue department. Revenue department needs to undergone a sea-change. There should be Citizen’s Charter. We have to provide transparent and corruption-free administration,” Mr Rao said.

Likely to cap the number at 31 new districts despite demand for several more, the CM held a high-level meeting with ministers and senior officials at the MCRHRD to discuss formation of the new districts .

Mr Rao also called on Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and briefed him on the proposed new districts, Friday’s Cabinet meeting, agenda and other issues.

Agriculture minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy gave enough hints that the High Powered Committee was studying feasibility of only four districts of Asifabad, Nirmal, Jangaon and Gadwal and will not consider other demands.

Stating that reorganisation of districts was a major part of administrative reforms, the CM also decided to send senior IAS officials to states with a large number of districts to study their administrative setup.

S.K. Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), Somesh Kumar (Madhya Pradesh), B.R. Meena (Chhattisgarh), Navin Mittal (Haryana), B.P. Acharya (Odisa), Ajay Mishra (Tamil Nadu) and S.P. Singh (Bihar) have been deputed for this.

The CM also wants the officials to have uniform designations. Reviving some age-old designations, he wanted MRO to be called Tahsildar, Deputy MRO as Nayab Tahsildar and Revenue inspector as “Girdhavar.”

Referring to confusion in some departments, unnecessary departments and staff, duplication of work and lack of staff at some places, he said Revenue, police, medical and health, education, Panchayati Raj and some others were needed in every district but departments like forest department, municipal, minority, ST welfare, horticulture, industries etc need not be uniform.

“There are several industries in and around Hyderabad. The workload will be more for industries department and need more staff. In rural areas, Panchayati Raj, rural development should have bigger setup. Where is the need for a Girijan official in non-girijan district? Where is the need forest officer when there is no forest?” he said.