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Visit far-off areas, CM tells officers
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, February 23
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has made visits to far-flung and remote areas mandatory for all heads of the departments so that they get the firsthand knowledge of people’s immediate needs and prepare plans accordingly.

The Chief Minister was reviewing the District Annual Plan of Poonch at an officers’ meeting in the district on Saturday.

Asking officers not to link development issues with politics, the Chief Minister said the performance of the officers would be judged by the quality of delivery and public service, adding the government had accepted the demands of the employees regarding the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission and expected them to work harder to improve the delivery system.

“It was now their duty to be more productive and responsive to the public demands,” he told the officers present in the meeting.

Omar said the administrative and bureaucratic leaderships have to work in tandem to reach out to the people and ensure better service. He said the administration had a key role to play in translating the development agenda of the government into reality. Describing government functionaries as agents of socio-economic change, the Chief Minister also stressed on them to remain apolitical.

Omar also asked the District Development Commissioner to prepare status paper of work, their financial and physical position and liabilities, if any. Later, presenting a detailed report of the District Plan, District Development Commissioner Muhammad Afzal said out of the revised annual plan of Rs 49.48 crore for the year 2008-09, about Rs 25 crore has been spent till February 15, 2009.