Punjab CM reviews progress of development projects

Badal also offered his personal intervention in getting the issues stuck up in various ministries resolved expeditiously

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today reviewed the progress of all development projects and welfare schemes taken up with the Centre, with the concerned administrative secretaries to ensure their timely and effective implementation.

Disclosing this here today, an official spokesperson said Badal was updated about the progress made so far by the administrative secretaries related to the projects and schemes forwarded to the Centre for its approval in a meeting held here.

Badal directed the Chief Secretary to oversee the pace of progress made in this regard after having separate meetings with the secretaries and their heads of departments so as to ensure clearance of projects from the Union government on priority.

The Chief Minister also offered his personal intervention in getting the issues stuck up in various ministries resolved expeditiously.

He asked the officers to bring any sort of hardship faced by them in getting things moved at a faster pace at the Centre, in the knowledge of the team of officers attached with him for quick resolution.

He asked the administrative secretaries to frequently visit the concerned ministries and their offices in Delhi to get the sanctions swiftly.

Badal mentioned that he had personally met various Union Ministers recently and raised several issues with them regarding the development and prosperity of the state which must be followed up by all the administrative secretaries meticulously so as to ensure prompt clearance.

The Chief Minister also asked the officers to be regularly in touch with their counterparts in various ministries by developing a "personal rapport" in the larger public interest and getting long pending issues resolved at the earliest.

He also directed the administrative secretaries to either visit personally or send their heads of departments to various ministries for prompt resolution of the pending issues instead of sending their junior officers in order to curtail inordinate procedural delay.

The Chief Minister also asked the officers to maintain punctuality and discipline in the offices from 9 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Thursday and reserve Friday for the field visits.

He asked the Chief Secretary to ensure that every officer plans an advance tour in the field to address issues on the spot, in consultation with district administration which were unnecessarily delayed for the want of coordination.

Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary assured Badal that he would personally ensure that a mechanism is in place to have integrated and coordinated approach between the CMO and the different administrative departments to keep him regularly updated on the status of development projects and welfare schemes taken up by the Centre.