After Atishi flags ‘corruption’, panel set up to inspect revenue offices in Delhi

A committee will inspect various government offices in Delhi to identify and implement improvement measures, including procedural changes and use of technology.

A four-member committee will soon carry out inspection in the offices of the Public Works Department, subdistrict magistrates, additional district magistrates and tehsildars to identify and implement “systematic improvement measures”, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.

Revenue minister Atishi. (HT Photo)

“The Committee shall study the processes followed in the ADM, SDM, Tehsildar, and PWD offices, and make recommendations w.r. t. the following for identification and implementation of systematic improvement measures: (i) procedural changes required in these Departments for ease of doing business and simplification of processes and applicable laws, (ii) Leveraging of information technology to make the processes faceless in a time bound manner, including introduction of block chain in such processes; (iii) effective implementation of e-Courts; (iv) effective monitoring processes, including mechanism for inspections of such offices along with frequency and level of such inspections, (v) capacity building programs, and (vi) any other suggestion the Committee would like to make to improve the transparency and efficiency in these offices,” said an order signed by chief secretary Naresh Kumar.

This comes days after revenue minister Atishi flagged complaints of corruption in SDM offices and directed that study of existing procedures and practices prevailing in key revenue offices should be taken up with a view to identify procedures or practices which provide a scope for corruption.

The committee that will conduct the inspection will have AK Singh, principal secretary of environment and forest department; Dilraj Kaur, secretary cum commissioner, food and civil supplies department; Ashok Kumar, secretary education department; and Buniyad Singh, assistant director of the vigilance department of the Delhi government, as its members.

The secretariat assistance to the committee will be provided by the vigilance department, and the committee can co-opt any other officer of the Delhi government for support, the order said.

It has been asked to submit the inspection report by September 11, according to the order.

An official, who is a part of the committee, said that it will try to understand the procedural changes required to facilitate service delivery to the people without hassles. “We will also find out areas which require modifications to minimise inconvenience to the people. We will try to submit the report to the chief secretary within the fixed timeline,” said the official, not willing to be identified.

Meanwhile, the chief secretary did not respond to HT’s requests for comments.

Delhi is divided into 11 revenue districts, with each district headed by a district magistrate and assisted by an ADM, SDM and a tehsildar in carrying out a variety of administrative functions such as magisterial matters, revenue courts, registration of documents and properties. The districts also act as enforcement departments for government policies and orders. Delhi has 11 ADM offices and 33 SDM offices, and 33 Tehsildar offices.