Secretaries to Take Direct Responsibility for Rural Development

Senior officers to conduct field visits, monitor 45 schemes, and ensure benefits reach villages directly

In a major administrative push to strengthen grassroots governance, the state government has assigned senior secretaries and departmental officers direct responsibility for monitoring and accelerating village development. The move aims to ensure that government schemes reach the real beneficiaries while improving transparency and accountability.

Senior Officers to Visit Villages Across the State

Under the new initiative, secretaries and senior officials will travel from village to village to review development work and oversee the implementation of various welfare schemes. This responsibility will not rest on secretaries alone — departmental officers will also be actively involved in rural monitoring.

The government has assigned 30 officers for 30 districts, while 21 officers have been tasked with reviewing 45 major schemes.

Mandatory District Tours with Field Inspections

Each designated officer must plan a 2–3 day visit to their assigned district at least once. During the visit, they will stay overnight at a district or sub-divisional headquarters.

Importantly, officers are required to visit remote and hard-to-reach areas. If necessary, they may even walk to interior locations to review the implementation of government schemes on the ground. At least one Gram Panchayat visit is mandatory during each tour.

Focus on Drinking Water and Infrastructure Projects

During district inspections, secretaries will mandatorily review drinking water projects. They will identify reasons for delays, if any, and recommend solutions to ensure timely completion.

Surprise Checks in Schools and Nutrition Centers

Officials will visit schools and meal centers, pay for food themselves, and assess the quality of meals being served. They will also interact with students to gather direct feedback about facilities and services.

Special attention will be given to tribal girls staying in school hostels, where officers will hold discussions to understand their concerns and needs.

Monitoring Healthcare Services

Secretaries will inspect Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) and interact with patients to understand the quality of healthcare services being delivered.

Ensuring Safety and Dignity for Women

Officers will verify whether Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) have been formed in educational institutions as required. They will also inspect whether separate facilities for women exist in schools and government offices.

Oversight in Mining and Aspirational Districts

In mining districts, officials will review the utilization of District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds to ensure proper spending for community welfare.

Similarly, special provisions meant for Aspirational Districts will also be closely monitored to ensure targeted development reaches underserved areas.

Bringing Governance Closer to the People

The government believes that direct field visits by senior officers will speed up rural development, reduce corruption, and increase transparency. With officials reaching villages personally, genuine beneficiaries are more likely to receive scheme benefits.

This initiative will also allow common people to directly share grievances with top administrators — something that was difficult in the past when villagers rarely had access to senior leaders or officers.

A New Era of Grassroots Administration

With the Chief Minister, ministers, and now senior secretaries visiting villages, the government says governance is entering a new phase where administration reaches the doorstep of rural citizens.

The ultimate goal remains clear: faster development, honest implementation, and better delivery of welfare schemes at the village level.

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