PASIGHAT, Feb 11: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday underscored the crucial role of government officers, particularly those in the districts, in driving governance and development.
Addressing a review meeting with officials of East Siang district here, Khandu said government officers should focus on evolving solutions rather than dwelling on problems to accelerate the state's progress.
"The council of ministers and MLAs are mere policymakers, but it is the government officials who execute policies on the ground. The success of any government depends on the honesty, sincerity, and efficiency of its employees," he said.
Emphasizing the continuity of governance, Khandu said, "Politicians are temporary, but government employees are permanent. While we come and go every five years, you serve the people for over 30 years. Your role in the development of the state and the welfare of its people is significant."
He reiterated the government's commitment to empowering officials, particularly those in district administrations, and stressed the importance of deputy commissioners in realizing the ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Arunachal’ vision by 2047, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"As the chief administrative officers at the district level, DCs form the backbone of governance and development. Strengthening districts is crucial for improving last-mile service delivery," he said.
Bottom-up Planning Approach
The chief minister informed that the government is introducing Bottom-up Planning, which involves preparing district-level vision and development plans.
“Deputy Commissioners will play a key role in its execution,” he said, adding that the guardian ministers and mentor secretaries will conduct review meetings in their assigned districts and submit reports to the government.
Our objective is to pinpoint the exact problems and needs of each district and identify key areas for prioritization, he stated.
Referring to the recent deputy commissioners' conference in Itanagar, Khandu urged officials to implement schemes and programmes based on six thematic areas: Sundar Arunachal, Samridh Arunachal, Shikshit Arunachal, Swasth Arunachal, Surakshit Arunachal, and Swachch Arunachal.
Pasighat's development prioritized
Speaking on Pasighat, the oldest town in Arunachal Pradesh, Khandu assured that the government would take all necessary steps to develop it into one of the state's top cities.
"When it comes to the development of our state and the welfare of our people, we stand united as Team Arunachal,” he said, calling for unity and cooperation.
The review meeting was attended by MLAs Oken Tayeng and Tabit Darang, BJP state president Kaling Moyong, Pasighat Municipal Council chief councillor and others.