Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been trying to rein in the state bureaucrats for quite some time now. He has often tried to impress upon them to be practical and pro-people but does not mind getting tough if results fail to satisfy him. In the latest incident, he lambasted senior bureaucrats and District Collectors of the state, warning them that bureaucratic arrogance, administrative rigidity, and lack of field engagement will not be tolerated.
He chose the occasion of the two-day District Collectors’ Conference held at the Secretariat in Amaravati for it. Speaking on the concluding day of the conference, the Andhra CM attacked what he described as a growing “superior mindset” among sections of the bureaucracy.
He said that both collectors and ministers must be proactive. Naidu virtually wants all organs of the government to be pro-people and pro-development.
That was the reason why he expressed dissatisfaction at the lack of visible development in several districts despite having strong agricultural potential and natural resources. He voiced his concern by saying that even prosperous districts are also not witnessing development because bureaucrats are not focusing on it.
The crux of his outburst is that Naidu wants his bureaucrats to take ownership of the development, for which he emphasized the need for a change in attitude.
He ordered District Collectors to spend at least eight days every month in the field to develop administrative grip.
“You must go to the field, interact with people, understand the situation, and activate the administrative machinery, rather than sit in front of computers,” he told bureaucrats.
He also instructed that all departments must spend at least six days in field inspections every month, stressing that data alone cannot reflect the true situation.
Naidu also directed senior secretaries to undertake four days of field visits every month, while asking the Chief Secretary to create an online monitoring portal to track these inspections.
He warned of serious action against officials whose negligence leads to public safety failures.
To send his message loud and clear, Naidu cited recent incidents of diarrhea cases in Srikakulam, adulterated milk complaints in Rajamahendravaram, and a firecracker accident in Kakinada district, while pointing out that these incidents exposed worrying administrative lapses.
The atmosphere got tense for a while during the meeting when a district officer raised the issue of delays in providing housing, borewells, and roads in habitations located inside the forest areas of Papikonda National Park due to lack of forest department clearances.
Naidu was particularly peeved at what he called an impractical bureaucratic approach that ignored the needs of people living in remote tribal regions.
Expressing strong displeasure Naidu went to the extent of reminding the bureaucrats that it was his fourth term as Chief Minister and for the first time he was witnessing such an attitude.
Naidu warned bureaucrats that administrative rigidity and inter-departmental conflicts must be resolved quickly.
The reason behind Naidu’s tirade is his attempt to ensure that governance under him is practical and people-centric.
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