NDA to highlight initiatives to improve governance on Dec 25

All departments told to produce e-booklets and pocket booklets on their achievements in last six months, and new initiatives announced

On the lines of ‘Swachh Bharat Diwas’ and ‘Bal Diwas’, the Narendra Modi government is planning to make a big splash during its ‘National Good Governance Day’ celebrations on the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25.

Officials said all departments have been directed to produce e-booklets and pocket booklets highlighting their achievements in the last six months and also the new initiatives announced and how they are trying to improve upon governance in their respective departments.

“The main thrust of the National Good Governance Day celebrations is to highlight how the new government is doing things differently from the previous ones,” a senior official said. He said not only the Central government, even models of good governance in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan and corporations and other civic bodies will be highlighted during the celebration. The ministries will also show the work completed in the last six months. Some ministries and departments are also preparing short films on the same lines, which will highlight the initiatives taken to improve governance.

The ministries have been directed to hold regular discussions and meeting with their officials to take stock of progress of work in different new initiatives announced after the new government came to power. Some like Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh has fixed Tuesday or Wednesday as the day when he will hold the stock-taking meeting. “Aadhaar-linked attendance of government staff, which has ensured that government officials spend time in office regularly, will also form part of the campaign,” the official explained.

Social media and other electronic means of communication will be effectively used to publicise the achievements and also governance tools.

“Stress will be more on using modern communication methods such as teleconferencing, electronic monitoring of progress of schemes during and also after the ‘Good Governance Day’ celebrations,” the official said.

Not only officials and departments, help is also being taken from over the 325-odd BJP Members of Parliaments (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), including to spread the message of good governance in various parts of the country.

Recently, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu held three rounds of meetings with BJP MPs in this regard. The first meeting was with first-time MPs, while the second was with two-time ones and the third with those who are in their third term or more as MPs.

Of the 282 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the ruling party has almost 165 members who have been elected for the first time. Earlier, this month, a BJP Parliamentary Board decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as ‘National Good Governance Day’.

The decision was taken by the prime minister at the BJP Parliamentary Board meeting, where BJP President Amit Shah was also present.

MARKING THE DAY

Key days celebrated by the Modi government so far

• Sep 1: 100-day of the Modi-government
   
• Oct 2: Swachh Bharat Diwas on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
  

 

Oct 11: Sansad Adarash Gram Yojana on the birth anniversary of J P Narayan
 

Oct 16: Shramev Jayanti Karyakaram on the birth anniversary of Pt Deendayal Upadhyay
 

Oct 30: Unity run on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel
 

Nov 14: Bal Diwas special programme on birth anniversary of Pt Jawaharlal Nehru