Business Rules To Be Amended For Better Governance

Emphasis by Government on Efficient Governance

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said the government has to deliver a governance the people cherish. He asked the officials to work towards providing services with ease for the public instead of causing inconvenience to them. "Some officials act as though the clearance of files is a burden on them," he pointed out. What was required, he added, was smart work and not hard work unnecessarily. Though many departments process only two or three files a day, some were creating extra files for no valid reason. The government would, therefore, simplify the rules of doing business and amend them if needed, he announced. A committee comprising ministers and experts would oversee the changes.

During the meeting, he gave directions on various issues to the ministers, secretaries, and heads of departments. He said very soon, every file will have a linked file. The government is about to bring in a blockchain system to prevent tampering and increase the security of revenue records. He announced that relevant documents after registration will be couriered directly to the citizens. Similarly, Pattadar passbooks will be directly couriered to farmers without passing through printing centers or revenue offices.

Expected Outcomes Achieving

He ordered all the departments to integrate their services online by January 15th without exception. The services of the Endowments Department and Revenue Department are not satisfactory, he observed. He asked the officials to get the news reports about the government performance analyzed and improve the system based on the factual findings. "Ratings will be introduced with regard to the work assigned to the Ministries,"

Monitoring Official Performance

• In the first year, the state achieved a GSDP growth rate of 12.02%, while 11.28% was achieved in the second quarter. The target for the year is 17%. The Chief Minister elaborated that all officers operate in the same competitive environment. New systems will enable performance tracking with just one click. The data lake of the state is now operational, integrating information from state and central departments. It also carries data that helps comprehend officer-level decisions.
• He mentioned anomalies in the disbursement of disability pensions, wherein some people are getting benefits who are not entitled to them. He emphasized that the benefit should reach only eligible citizens. A full-fledged project is in the pipeline to rectify the committed irregularities in all departments.

Departmental Audits and Scheme Utilization

Many departments have not been audited for 8–10 years. The government will audit all departments. The Chief Minister said that funds for centrally sponsored schemes were diverted during the previous government, which made the central government come out with new policies to check misappropriation of funds. He said the present departments must maximize the use of centrally sponsored schemes. RTGS and the Planning Department will carry out real-time population census updates; it is expected to be fully updated by March.

Enhancing the Power Sector using Microgrid Systems

• While taking over the office, the coalition government, the average price of purchase of electricity was Rs.5.19 per unit. This has been brought down to Rs.4.92 and for this year, it is intended to bring it further down to Rs 4.80. He said that the electricity charges would not go up this year. At one time, the electricity was purchased at Rs.14 per unit. The prevailing average price is Rs.4.80.
• Microgrid systems at sub-station levels are proposed to be introduced by the government. A model of a producer-cum-consumer will apply it to households and to pump-sets. Where this is not possible, electricity will be generated at sub-stations. This will bring transmission losses to zero. With full implementation, the electricity purchase price could come down to Rs. 4 within five years.
• Groundwater Improvement to Reduce Electricity Costs The average groundwater depth is now 6.07 meters. The government aims to maintain groundwater at 3 meters after the rainy season and 8 meters before the rainy season. Currently, about Rs 10,000 crore worth of electricity is used to pump groundwater. This cost will be reduced to half by increasing the ground water level.