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Yogi cites ‘Office Office’, ‘tarikh pe tarikh’ to highlight governance gaps
“The popular television series ‘Office Office’ often comes to mind, in which a citizen seeking to get a routine task done finds himself running from one office to another, but nothing gets done. Such helplessness and a state of despair inevitably lead people to question the system itself. Similarly, ‘tarikh pe tarikh’ can be seen and heard across various sectors,” he said.
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Chief minister Yogi Adityanath referred to the television series ‘Office Office’ and the film dialogue ‘tarikh pe tarikh’ on Friday to highlight the difficulties people face in getting routine work done in government offices, saying delays and negligence by officials make them question the system.
He stressed the need to link officials’ capacity building with their performance and promotions.
Adityanath was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day Northern Regional Workshop under the ‘Sadhana Shrinkhala’ (Sadhana Series) of Mission Karmayogi at Lok Bhawan. The workshop aims to bring states, training institutions and other stakeholders together to strengthen capacity-building institutions.
“The popular television series ‘Office Office’ often comes to mind, in which a citizen seeking to get a routine task done finds himself running from one office to another, but nothing gets done. Such helplessness and a state of despair inevitably lead people to question the system itself. Similarly, ‘tarikh pe tarikh’ can be seen and heard across various sectors,” he said.
‘Office Office’ is a satirical television series depicting a common man’s struggles against delays, inefficiency and corruption in government offices. The dialogue ‘tarikh pe tarikh’ from the film ‘Damini’ refers to prolonged court cases involving repeated hearings and delays in delivering justice.
Adityanath said a common man forced to visit multiple offices for a routine task without getting a response was bound to lose faith in the system. “If an elderly person, a youth, a woman, a farmer or anyone in need is left disappointed without a timely resolution, the purpose of public service remains unfulfilled,” he said.
He pointed out that elderly people were still often forced to make repeated visits to government offices to secure their pensions, while minor grievances of ordinary citizens remained unresolved.
“It is equally dangerous to have an incompetent or negligent individual occupying a position of responsibility. Often, employees are highly conscious of their own rights and prospects for promotion, yet they fail to demonstrate the necessary seriousness towards their professional obligations. Therefore, there must be continuous development of personnel capacity, clear delineation of responsibilities and regular evaluation of performance,” he said.
The chief minister said the administration would work towards ensuring that the right person was placed in the right position. The achievements, performance and success stories of officers and employees would be linked to their annual confidential reports (ACRs) and future promotions, he added.
He also urged the Capacity Building Commission to collaborate with the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Uttar Pradesh Academy of Administration and Management (RUPAM) to develop the institute into an artificial intelligence (AI) centre of excellence for capacity building in the state.
Adityanath said AI, data analytics and digital technologies were rapidly changing governance, making it essential to equip public servants with the skills needed to adapt. Technology could speed up governance, simplify procedures and improve decision-making, but a spirit of service was essential to make administration sensitive to citizens’ needs, he added.
He called for strengthening the capacity of personnel working in gram panchayats, nagar panchayats, municipal councils and municipal corporations. “Local bodies are the foundation of governance and need to be made more efficient, accountable and citizen-centric to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last person,” he said.
The chief minister said the objective of training was not merely to obtain certificates but to improve decision-making, simplify procedures and ensure better public services.
The workshop, organised jointly by RUPAM and the Union government’s Capacity Building Commission under Mission Karmayogi, is being attended by officials and representatives from eight states and four Union territories.
Adityanath said Mission Karmayogi, launched under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed to transform work culture in public services through continuous capacity building.
