In an effort to ensure that government welfare schemes and programs reach the grassroots level, the Maharashtra state government has tasked 30 senior IAS officers with visiting 30 districts before the end of March. Each officer will spend at least one night in their assigned district.
Anu Garg, the Development Commissioner, issued a circular detailing the new initiative. It outlines that the officers, including Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Secretaries, and Directors, are encouraged to plan a two-day visit every two months to their designated district, during which they are required to spend one night in a district or sub-divisional headquarters.
The purpose of the visits is to monitor the implementation of important government schemes and ensure that public services are effectively reaching the people. During their visit, the officers are urged to randomly select areas to visit, including tribal and hard-to-reach regions.
As part of the initiative, officers are expected to visit at least one Gram Panchayat to assess the saturation of various development and welfare programs, ensuring that basic services are being provided. Additionally, they are required to have at least one meal each day at locations like ST/SC hostels, Mid-Day Meal (MDM) centers in schools, Aahar Kendras, or orphanages to inspect food quality and the overall environment.
Officers are also advised to engage with students, inmates, and the general public to gain feedback on critical issues such as security, facilities, and overall behavior. They will meet with patients in Primary Health Centers (PHCs), beneficiaries in Anganwadi Centers (AWCs), and tribal girls in schools or hostels to better understand the on-ground challenges faced by these communities.
For districts in the eight major DMF (District Mineral Foundation) regions, the officers will specifically review the utilization of funds under DMF and OMBADC (Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation) and will visit projects funded by these initiatives.
After each field visit, the officers will hold a meeting with District Level Officers and the District Collector to share their observations, review the functioning of government schemes, and discuss major upcoming projects like industrial parks, medical colleges, ports, airports, and large irrigation projects.
The officers assigned to aspirational districts will focus on reviewing the progress of the Aspirational Districts Programme, ensuring that these regions receive the attention and resources needed for their development.
After each visit, the senior officers will submit their findings to the Chief Secretary, contributing to the ongoing monitoring and refinement of government programs aimed at improving the lives of the state’s citizens.
