For the first time, the government has carried out a performance assessment of ministries on various administrative parameters, including delays in clearing of files, grievance redressal and responses to Cabinet proposals. Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan presented the ranking of ministries and departments on each of these parameters at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on Thursday. According to The Times of India, the score cards of ministries and departments were prepared by the Cabinet Secretariat and their sharing was intended to usher a sense of competition to end any delay in clearing of files and addressing people's issues quickly. However, there was no overall ranking of ministries on all the parameters put together, with the PM instructing all ministers and officers to fast-track decision making for public good.
Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday directed officials across his ministries to adopt a 'result-oriented' governance model focused on grievance redressal, procedural reforms and technology-led administration. According to an official statement, this directive came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined governance priorities at the Union Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday. The Prime Minister stressed the reform agenda despite the West Asia crisis, with discussions focusing on boosting 'Ease of Living' and 'Ease of Doing Business' to advance reforms for Viksit Bharat. As reported by Business Standard, Chouhan emphasized that governance should be visible in the lives of people and not remain confined to official files, stressing that farmers and ordinary citizens should not be forced to "run from pillar to post" either for grievance redressal or to access the benefits of government schemes.
Chairing a high-level review meeting with senior officials from the Agriculture, Rural Development, Land Resources and ICAR departments, Chouhan instructed departments to establish time-bound mechanisms to ensure scheme benefits reach beneficiaries efficiently and that complaints are resolved on the ground rather than merely being 'disposed of' on paper. The minister directed the formation of dedicated teams of at least 10 officers each in both ministries to conduct daily reviews of complaints, citizen representations, public grievances and issues raised through various portals. Chouhan stressed that grievance redressal should not remain limited to disposal on paper and officials must verify whether actual relief has reached beneficiaries on the ground, noting that in some cases, discrepancies had emerged between official records and field realities during direct interactions with beneficiaries. The minister also called for the integration of multiple grievance portals into a unified monitoring mechanism and announced that grievance redressal systems would now be reviewed every month to monitor outcomes and implementation effectiveness.
Emphasising reforms in administrative systems, Chouhan directed officials to identify within a week outdated regulations, licensing requirements and procedural bottlenecks that hinder implementation. According to Rediff Moneynews, Chouhan questioned the necessity of licensing requirements, suggesting registration-based systems could suffice in many cases. The minister announced that monthly reviews would be conducted to monitor outcomes, with the first comprehensive review scheduled for June after the ongoing kharif season. Calling for simplification of rules and procedures, Chouhan said outdated regulations and excessive licensing systems should be reviewed and replaced with simpler mechanisms wherever possible. The minister also stressed that every division, scheme and department must identify the exact points where difficulties arise and simplify processes causing unnecessary inconvenience to beneficiaries through reforms in rules, procedures and systems. This includes simplifying processes in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, road schemes, agriculture programmes, horticulture, insurance, marketing and any other initiative.
The meeting emphasized the need for strengthened training and capacity-building programmes for officials to ensure faster and more effective governance. Chouhan directed departments to strengthen training and capacity-building programmes for officials to ensure faster and more effective governance. The minister also stressed reforms in administrative work culture, including improvements in drafting, file preparation and decision-making processes at all levels. Expressing concern over pending court cases involving government departments, Chouhan instructed officials to review litigation matters, appoint nodal officers and strengthen legal preparation to protect public interest. As per Rediff Moneynews, Chouhan asked all departments to compile lists of pending court cases, appoint nodal officers and strengthen legal representation, noting that governments often lose cases due to poor or delayed presentation of their position. The meeting also discussed preparation of departmental Vision Documents aligned with the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047, with departments asked to prepare annual, quarterly and weekly action plans to improve monitoring and performance assessment.
