Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

A programme to help improve interaction

Photo: Special Arrangement

For better governance: The Nilgiris Collector Anandrao V.Patil addressing a sensitization clinic in Udhagamandalam on Wednesday. —

Udhagamandalam: “It is a need of the hour.” This was the consensus of district officers and elected representatives of various local bodies who participated in a district-level United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) sponsored sensitization clinic on ‘Human Development and Gender Issues’.

The sensitisation clinic was organized by the State Planning Commission here on Wednesday.

Speaking to The Hindu during the course of the day-long brain storming session, many of the participants opined that it served purposes of a varied kind.

The programme had helped people in various ways.

While the Chairman, Udhagamandalam Municipal Council R.Rajendran said that the programme helped bring about an attitudinal change among the employees and made them a little more duty conscious, the Municipal Commissioner L.S.Girija said that it improved inter-departmental coordination.

“We also get to know the elected representatives better since barriers are broken,” she pointed out.

The Executive Engineer, Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, T.Haldorai, said that it helped raise the level of knowledge apart from dealing with issues arising from ego clashes.

“We learn to accept our faults,” he added further.

The Assistant Project Officer, Mahalir Thittam, Hannah Dixon said, “For people in government service who tend to get worn out, such programmes are a welcome relief.”

In the present conditions they play a significant role in equipping officials and elected representatives.

Earlier setting in motion the proceedings, the Nilgiris Collector Anandrao V.Patil urged the participants to accord the highest priority to education.

Adverting to the recent natural disaster which occurred here, he said that if the education of children is neglected, the consequences would be even more disastrous.

The Principal, Regional Institute of Rural Development, Bhavanisagar S.Vidyasagar said that the objective was to set right imbalances.

Human resource trainers J.E.Kennedy and B.Chandramohan said that such programmes were basically, “eye-opening exercises”.

While some are receptive to the efforts being made to bring about a qualitative improvement in the administration, some are indifferent. However the efforts to bring about changes should not be given up.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Planting operations going on in full swing at Sim’s Park
A programme to help improve interaction
Around the world on a bicycle, for a cause

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu