The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Departments prepare list of their achievements

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 17, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Departments prepare list of their achievements

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Plans to implement poll promises go through elaborate consultations

CHENNAI: With Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi demanding results on the ground from all Ministries, departments have been digging into their resources to complete the tasks allotted to them on time.

The departments have also been asked to maintain elaborate plans for each of the tasks and also compile lists of achievements. The plans, drawn up to implement the promises made in the DMK manifesto, go through elaborate consultations and fine-tuning.

What have the departments accomplished in the past two months? Each department has a list. For instance, the School Education Department has nine projects under way. These include the implementation of Tamil on class one, filling of vacancies, upgrade of schools, celebration of July 15 as Education Day and identification of 200 schools in educationally backward districts and singling them out for special schemes. While the announcements for all these have been made, the department is now working on these thrust areas, while carrying on with its routine works.

The Information Department too has had a series of tasks to complete. It has been among the fastest of departments and has completed many of the assigned tasks — installation of the Kannagi statue on the Marina, orders to reduce filing charges, bringing back screening of children's films to the Kalaivanar Arangam, steps to establish a Tiruvalluvar centre in Kanyakumari and installation of the statue of the late actor Shivaji Ganesan.

In the past two months, the Agriculture Department has managed to ensure farmers who required fresh crop loans got them and made sure the Mettur dam was opened on June 12.

The Transport Department is working on the plan to procure 1,000 buses at a cost of Rs.100 crore and use the finances generated by the buses to buy more buses.

The Public Works Department has worked hard to control illegal sand quarrying and has even invoked the Goondas Act against illegal miners. It has given administrative sanction for improvements to the Noyyal Orathupalayam reservoir at a cost of Rs.43 lakh. Cleaning of the heavily polluted reservoir has been a long standing demand of the people of the area and also those living downstream.

The Rural Development Department has ordered the reinstatement of 12,618 family welfare workers and made the services of 933 personnel in panchayat unions.

The efficiency of each department can be measured from the time it takes to convert an announcement into a government order, officials say. They also point out that the departments had no `honey-moon' or `settling in' period. Normally, there is a six-month grace for sorting out department-related issues. The DMK Government did not have any such period when it assumed office because of the sense of urgency exhibited by the Chief Minister, the officials say.

Chief Minister's role

Mr.Karunanidhi provides broad directions for the various Ministries based on the inputs he receives from various quarters. He sets apart time to meet representatives of trade bodies and NGOs, community leaders, religious heads, corporate heads and officials.

Meets Badaga leaders

On Sunday, he met leaders of the Badaga community who called on him at the party headquarters.

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