Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today issued a series of instructions to improve work environment in the secretariat, including creation of a grievance cell for women, to bolster efficiency of employees.
She issued immediate instructions for better management of files, proper maintenance of records and creation of more work spaces for civil servants, especially who are working at the lower rung, in the secretariat complex.
She directed the Finance, Planning and Development (P&D) Departments to take urgent steps to improve work environment.
"Improvement in work environment will enhance the efficiency of the staff in the Secretariat," she said.
The Chief Minister passed these directions today while taking a quick round of both the main and mini blocks of the civil secretariat complex.
Interacting with the employees, the Chief Minister advised the officials to keep their offices clean, comfortable and well-decorated.
She observed that subtle changes at workplace can lead to better work environment which will make employees happy and productive.
"By improving the comfort zones, we are actually enhancing the capacities of our workforce," she said.
The Chief Minister suggested that environment-friendly packaging material should be used for transporting office material and files from Jammu to Srinagar and back during "Darbar moves".
The Chief Minister also interacted with the women staffers in the secretariat and urged them to support her endeavour in making the state one of the best administered states in the country.
The Chief Minister said she was pleasantly surprised to see a large number of women employees in the secretariat.
"I am always accessible and doors of my office will remain open for you," she said, while assuring the women staffers of her support in mitigating their problems.
On the request of female employees, the Chief Minister issued directions for establishing a grievance cell in the Secretariat which will deal exclusively with the complaints registered by women, expediting all cases related to sanction of childcare leave, better maintenance and improvement of women lavatory blocks and prioritizing allotment cases of government accommodation.
"Violence in any form only brings miseries to the people
and is not a means to seek resolution of the problem... Holding public life to ransom will not yield peace but only aggravate the miseries of the people," Mehbooba said, adding "We shall have to ponder over how long we are going to allow this self destruction to continue?"
She said, "Our children are getting killed and maimed, our social fabric is slipping into disorder, economy is in shambles, educational sector has suffered immensely, tourism inflow is zero, shopkeepers are not able to do business, transport industry is suffering massive losses, industrial units are shut, development process has come to a halt and people are feeling suffocated."
The Chief Minister said everyone, cutting across the political divide, shall have to reinforce the resolve to work through peaceful means and through public participation towards resolution of the problem and restoration of peace in the state so that the future generations can at least live in peaceful environment.
