Chief minister Mamata Banerjee and chief secretary Rajiva Sinha on Thursday recommended a series of changes in the way officials have functioned over the years.

The aim of the advisory, issued at an administrative review meeting in Nabanna, is to bring a new momentum in the state’s development. The Telegraph sums up the suggestions:

Planning

Sinha said secretaries of various departments should ensure time-bound planning of projects and officials should be held accountable.

“In case of execution of projects, there is a timeline. But nobody sets a deadline for completion of the planning. That also delays projects,” Sinha was quoted as saying. Sources said the chief secretary pointed out that it takes a long time to prepare a detailed project report.

Monitoring

Sinha asked the officials to start monitoring projects as soon as tenders are floated. “Tenders were floated 11 times for a project in the CMDA as the required number of agencies were not participating…,” he was quoted as saying.

Sources said the Majerhat Bridge was cited as an example. “Tenders to repair the bridge were floated repeatedly and the agency was finally selected just a few days before the bridge collapsed,” said an official.

Assessing results

Sinha asked departments and district magistrates to assess whether projects were bringing any change in the lives of the beneficiaries for whom the funds were disbursed.

Taking responsibility

The chief secretary asked departmental secretaries to take responsibility while preparing replies to questions from Parliament, Assembly or the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) as it involves the image of the state government.

Land problems

The chief minister asked the district magistrates to deal with complaints of land-grabbing “very seriously”. “Everything should not be left to the land department officers posted in the district. The DMs should monitor the problems,” Mamata was quoted as saying.