There was heightened activity in the Players’ Building on Wednesday after lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung stepped inside the premises to take stock of the various departments. Jung reviewed the functioning of several departments of the State Government. The lieutenant-Governor has also taken a decision that he will regularly monitor the performance of Delhi Government’s departments and the same has been conveyed to Principal Secretaries and head of all departments.
After 2001, this was the first time that the lieutenant-Governor visited Players’ Building which houses the office of the Chief Minister of Delhi. Jung is expected to visit the Delhi Government Secretariat on Friday also to take stock of the performance of some other departments that were not reviewed on Wednesday. Following Jung’s visit, power centre appeared to be back to the Players Building. l-G’s visit came in the backdrop of the city administration’s total disconnect with the people and Raj Niwas was flooded with complaints from the aggrieved denizens.
Talking to reporters, the lieutenant-Governor said that he has decided to review functioning of departments at Players’ Building to connect to public. “The administration will have to connect to people that’s why review meeting has been called at Players’ Building,” Jung said.
The lieutenant-Governor said that if in any work of the Government where many departments are involved, they must undertake joint visits to the field and address issue on the spot. He said that for expeditious delivery to the public, the Government machinery must ensure better coordination across departments and must be motivated by the spirit of delivery to the public.
“After the President’s Rule and imposition of Model Code of Conduct, the entire Government machinery was in limbo and the officials had stopped entertaining common people. There was no public dealing in the Government. The l-G office has also received a large number of complaints on water and power,” said a senior official on the condition of anonymity. Another official said that the lieutenant-Governor had earlier directed all HoDs to start field inspections of their department and in some cases, conditions were found pathetic and inhuman.
“Besides, several infrastructural projects have been delayed. For instances, conditions of polytechnics run by the Government is in bad condition. Similarly, Vikaspuri to Wazirabad project to make Outer Ring Road signal free has already been delayed due to National Green Tribunal cases,” said official, adding that review meeting by the lieutenant-Governor will keep departments alert and active.