GUWAHATI: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday pledged to usher in a new era of red tape-free governance in five years from now and recommended dismantling of rules found to be posing hurdles in enhancing the efficiency of the government machinery.
Addressing a one-of-a-kind "workshop with senior government officers on ways and means to enhance the efficiency of government machinery" here on Monday, Sarma said, "For efficient administration, if any rule you find is an obstacle, let us dismantle it." He asked the state's bureaucracy to make themselves responsible, accountable and empowered with functional autonomy.
"Every minister is as resolute as me to develop the state. Guide them well. Anything that hits your conscience, raise your voice. This five years will set the beginning of a new era in Assam and I am in a hurry," Sarma told the state's top bureaucrats.
"I have total respect for your administrative capabilities. I know each of you and my request to you is to shed the hesitancy to work. Work for the welfare of people. If you find anything wrong with any of my minister, come to me," he said.
Speaking with his past 20 years of experience in the government, Sarma said while discharging his earlier responsibilities as a minister, he, too, was a victim of the hurdles of red-tapism.
"It took me 20 years to compensate those people who had given away their lands for setting up IIT-Guwahati. In the last government, it took six months just to correct the Assamese translation of the public works department from 'gar-kaptani' to 'lok nirman' department," he said.
He added that bureaucrats serving in the state excel in their work when they go on deputation to the Centre. "When you are posted in the central government, you do not allow piling of files because you fear the system there. But this does not happen when they are in the state," he pointed out.
"We have to change the system of functioning. We have to take our level of performance higher. The primary object of today's workshop is to give you responsibility. Nobody will come in your way. You take responsibility. Take accountability. The barometer is very very clear - what Kerala or Odisha or any other state with 3.5 core population can do, we can do too," he said.
