Kiran Bedi urges officials to make field visits a habit

Puducherry : Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi today urged officials and heads of government departments here to make field visits a habit to resolve grievances of the people and to bring in "people friendly administration in the Union Territory."

In her monthly message to officials on 'delivery of public service', the former IPS officer made a veiled reference to the transfer of Chief Secretary Manoj Parida to Delhi in November."With the change in leadership at the helm of bureaucracy, I see a positive development in the Union Territory," she said in the message, a copy of which was released to the media through WhatsApp.

The Centre has posted the special secretary to PWD in Delhi Administration Ashwani Kumar as the new chief secretary of Puducherry after transferring Parida to the National Capital Territory of Delhi.Bedi herself has been making visits every saturday and sunday to rural, urban and semi-urban pockets to listen to people's grievances.

She would only reiterate the importance of holding "open house meetings by officials" and also their field visits as a "habit to resolve grievances of the people and to bring in people friendly administration in the Union Territory," Bedi said.Bedi said in her message that there should be "no unauthorised diversion of staff and employees from one department to another." She said personal records of staff and officials of departments would be computerised.

There should be financial prudence and the government assisted societies and autonomous institutions should also have working norms, Bedi said."All these measures are intended to ensure better governance and also to meet the expectations of the people we serve," she added.