Field Visits Mandatory for Officials from July to Strengthen Governance: AP CM Naidu
Amaravati, June 17 (TNT): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday directed all government officials to undertake regular field visits from July onwards to strengthen governance, improve service delivery and enhance public confidence in the administration.
Reviewing the performance of various departments through the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister stressed the need for greater accountability and vigilance across the administrative machinery.
Stating that governance must be people-centric, Naidu said officials should identify gaps in implementation and take corrective measures promptly.
“The entire administration must remain alert to prevent mistakes. There should be no negligence in delivering services to the people,” he said, adding that field visits help officials understand ground-level issues firsthand and improve public trust in the government.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to spend at least three days every week in the field. He reiterated that District Collectors should visit every Assembly constituency four times, while constituency nodal officers should visit each mandal four times a month.
Naidu also announced that the performance of officials and employees would be assessed through a 360-degree evaluation system to ensure greater accountability and efficiency.
Reviewing the functioning of the Endowments Department, the Chief Minister said there was considerable scope for improving services for devotees at temples across the state.
“The Endowments Department must focus more on enhancing services in temples. The performance of employees in the department needs to improve further,” he said.
He emphasised the need for continuous skill upgradation among government employees and directed departments to organise appropriate training programmes. Referring to international best practices, Naidu said Andhra Pradesh should study and adopt suitable governance models from Singapore.
The Chief Minister also reviewed road maintenance works and noted that 11,600 potholes had been identified across municipalities in the state, of which 79 per cent have already been repaired.
He directed officials to complete the remaining road repair works at the earliest and stressed the importance of improving roads that provide connectivity between urban and rural areas.
“The Roads and Buildings Department and the Municipal Administration Department should work in close coordination on road construction and maintenance,” he said.
Highlighting the role of technology in governance, Naidu said Google had agreed to partner with the state government in advancing data-driven governance initiatives.
“The Commercial Taxes Department is already working with Google. Similar collaborations should be expanded to other departments as well,” he said.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the functioning of the Public Grievance Redressal System (PGRS) and directed officials to expedite the disposal of public complaints.
He called for the development of a transparent tracking mechanism that would enable citizens to independently monitor the status of their grievances.
“Citizens should be able to track their complaints independently and clearly understand how far their grievances have been addressed,” he said.
Chief Secretary G. Sai Prasad and senior officials attended the review meeting.
TNT KM
