Orissa CM clips babus' wings

The state Govt asks senior IAS officers not to leave the state without the knowledge of their respective ministers and the chief minister's office, reports Soumyajit Pattnaik.

Orissa's bureaucrats known to fly off to Delhi at the drop of the hat will have to spend more time on their home turf. The state government has asked senior IAS officers not to leave the state without the knowledge of their respective ministers and the chief minister's office. They have also been asked not to visit Delhi too often for work which can be handled by the Resident Commissioner.

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A letter issued to the bureaucrats says, "It has come to the notice of the government that ministers are not informed when the principal secretaries/ secretaries of their respective departments are going outside the headquarters either on tour or otherwise which, at times, results in avoidable dislocation of work.

It is, therefore, decided that principal secretaries/secretaries of the departments shall inform their respective ministers unfailingly before leaving headquarters and shall send a copy of their programme to the office of the chief minister".

The letter adds, "Further, it has been decided that principal secretaries/secretaries shall limit their tours outside the state, particularly by air to attending urgent and unavoidable matters. For routine and less important meetings at New Delhi, the services of Resident Commissioner shall be utilised".

Most IAS officers refused to comment on the decision.

A senior officer in the CMO said, "This is part of the ongoing process undertaken by the CM to tone up the administration."

Earlier, chief minister Naveen Patnaik had issued instructions to all senior IAS officers to visit one district every month and spend one night at a block headquarter.