Maharashtra government makes field visits compulsory for senior babus

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government has directed senior bureaucrats to undertake periodic visits to the offices or branches of their respective departments across the state to monitor implementation of government policies.

A government resolution (GR) issued by the general administration department yesterday says the additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries and secretaries will have to visit the field offices on the first and third Friday and Saturday of every month.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had recently remarked that the bureaucracy was not fully cooperating with his government, and this was a hurdle in the implementation of policies.

Half of the lower-level officials were reluctant to implement the policies and programmes of the BJP-Shiv Sena government, the chief minister had said.

"While on their field visits, the senior bureaucrats must visit the offices of their departments in urban and rural areas and ensure that government schemes are being implemented at their level," the GR signed by chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya says.

The visiting officials should interact with junior-level officers as well as the intended beneficiaries of schemes and submit detailed reports on efficiency of these schemes to the Chief Secretary with suggestions on how they can be further improved, the GR says.

The field visits would be taken into consideration in the annual performance appraisal, says the GR, adding that ministers should not hold meetings when the officers are supposed to be making field visits.