Chandigarh August 21: Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal today exhorted the newly appointed District Municipal Commissioners (DMCs) to come up with innovative ideas for effective and speedy implementation of development works at the grass root level and enhance the satisfaction level of people thereby realizing the State Government’s vision of further strengthening the Urban Local Bodies in the State.
Mr Manohar Lal was addressing the One Day Training Session of District Municipal Commissioners organized by Department of Urban Local Bodies at Haryana Niwas here today. Mr Manohar Lal addressed the DMCs through video conferencing.
Urban Local Bodies and Home Minister, Mr Anil Vij was also present on this occasion.
Notably, treading on the path of ensuring development of urban areas through decentralization of powers, the State Government has created 20 new posts of District Municipal Commissioners. In all the districts (except Charkhidadri and Faridabad), a District Municipal Commissioner each has been posted whereas, Charkhidadri has been clubbed with Bhiwani district. Earlier also, the State Government had taken revolutionary steps by setting up Inter District Council for the development of both rural and urban areas of the State and also appointed independent CEOs of Zila Parishads.
Mr Manohar Lal said that senior IAS and HCS officers have been appointed as District Municipal Commissioners and they should work as a team to ensure effective implementation of various flagship schemes and programmes of the State and Central Government in the areas falling within their jurisdiction while ensuring the effective participation of public representatives.
While laying emphasis on the e-governance system, the Chief Minister said that various services are being made available to the people in the State through online medium adding that e-delivery system not only saves precious time of people but also helps eradicating corruption by way minimizing human interface.
He said that it is a matter of pride that today he has launched e-office system for the electronic movement of files related to 21 government departments, 3 corporations besides the offices of Chief Minister and Chief Secretary. He said that while all government offices of the State would become e-offices by September 15, 2020, the Divisional Commissioner’s Offices, Offices of Deputy Commissioners in the districts and field offices of all departments and directorates and all urban local bodies would be moved to e-office by December 25, 2020 which is also celebrated as Good Governance Day.
Congratulating the Urban Local Bodies Department, Mr Manohar Lal said that as a result of the concerted efforts, Haryana has bagged 2nd position in the country in the category of State with less than 100 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 results announced yesterday. He asked the department to make added efforts to achieve top slot in the Swachh Survekshan next year.
The Chief Minister said that though the State Government has so far regularized 686 illegal colonies in the State in the interest of people, the District Municipal Commissioners would make sure that no new illegal colony is constructed in the State. He said that the Government has adopted a tough stance against the illegal registration of properties in the State. A new system of property registration is being developed under which the systems of other concerned departments are being integrated. Till the time the system is made fully functional, no new property registration would be made in the urban areas, he added.
He said that apart from grant by the State Government, the Municipalities should try to evolve their own sources of income and prepare the Municipal Development Plan on time. He asked the District Municipal Commissioners to make a detailed study on the development of the district and prepare development plan with the participation of local people before sending the same to the State Government.
Mr Manohar Lal said that the District Municipal Commissioners should also envisage plans to develop other cities of the State as smart cities on the lines of Karnal, Faridabad and Gurugram. He also asked them to ensure proper coordination with respective Deputy Commissioners and CEO Zila Parishads and work towards ensuring the development of villages also.
The Chief Minister asked the District Municipal Commissioners to give special emphasis on schemes being run for the weaker sections of the society. To ensure that people get benefit of various welfare schemes at their door steps, Parivar Pehchan Patras of every family in the State are being prepared. He asked them to review the progress of collection of family data in their respective areas and fast track the work so that the Parivar Pehchan Patra to all eligible families in the State could be distributed at the earliest.
Earlier, speaking on this occasion, Urban Local Bodies and Home Minister Mr. Anil Vij said that the aim of appointing the District Municipal Commissioners is to ensure speedy and un-interrupted work in the municipalities of the State. He said that to ensure transparency in the work, the department has implemented e-works management system under which all work right from the preparation of estimates upto the approval of the project would be made online. He asked the District Municipal Commissioners to work with the mantra of “Plan Your Work and Work on Your Plan” for achieving success in their work.
Mr Vij also asked the District Municipal Commissioners to constitute two sub committees in their areas to ensure the quality of development works. While one committee would carry out the development works, the second committee would supervise and inspect the works done.
Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Local Bodies Department, Mr. S.N. Roy has asked the newly appointed District Municipal Commissioners to contribute in improving the ranking of the cities of the state in the Swachh Survekshan next year and to make efforts to ensure that the State’s cities should bag the top position.
Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr Rajesh Khullar said that appointing independent CEOs for Zila Parishads and District Municipal Commissioners are the unique initiatives of the present State Government towards ensuring more development at the grass root level through devolution of powers. He asked the District Municipal Commissioners to personally visit the Municipal Committee and Municipal Councils falling under their jurisdiction and take all necessary steps to ensure the timely delivery of various services to the people in a more systematic and transparent manner thus bringing a revolutionary change in the system. He said that a whatsapp group of all the District Municipal Commissioners be made to share innovative steps and measures being taken by them in their respective jurisdiction and maintain proper coordination between the officers.
Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr V. Umashankar said that appointing District Municipal Commissioners is the first-of-its-kind initiative of the state government who would work to maintain direct coordination between the government and the municipalities. He said that the aim behind this move of the state government is to ensure that the municipalities in the state emerge as self governing institutions.
Director General, Urban Local Bodies Department, Mr. Amit Kumar Agarwal assured the Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal and Urban Local Bodies and Home Minister, Mr Anil Vij that all the District Municipal Commissioners would work as a team to achieve the objectives set by the State Government.