Government's OROP message leaves a lot to be desired: IAS trainees

NEW DELHI: Trainee IAS officers highlighted deficiencies in the Centre’s major schemes in presentations made to PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. One of the presentations highlighted that the government’s communication strategy on the One-Rank-One-Pension issue left much to be desired.

Modi chaired an interaction session with IAS officers of the 2013 batch, after their completion of a 3-month stint with the Centre. Six presentations showed what was lacking in some key schemes. Ajeet Vasant, Aswathi S and Neilenthang Telien made a presentation, ‘Communication Strategy For Government,’ which highlighted the “under-utilisation of media space” on issues like OROP and “details and clarity needed on issues, e.g. OROP” in communication strategy. The presentation said that the government’s communication should have “one government approach,” “no contrasting views” from different ministries and “internal coherence”.

Another presentation on the Soil Health Card Scheme said there was minimal follow-up in Gujarat after distribution of Soil Health Card to farmers and an overall lack of soil testing labs in the country. Banks were facing problems related to high cost of disbursing and recovering small loans in case of the Mudra loan scheme, another presentation said. Borrowers faced issues of access and multiple visits to banks for getting the loan while government was struggling with the image of these loans being perceived as “doles/handouts” and unethical practices in procuring the loans, the presentation said.