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Another session at IIM-L for Yogi ministers today
After last week’s ‘priority setting’ of key areas that needed attention, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath would lead his ministers to Indian Institute
After last week’s ‘priority setting’ of key areas that needed attention, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath would lead his ministers to Indian Institute of Management-Lucknow (IIM-L) again on Sunday, this time with bureaucrats in tow, to ensure that ministers and officers were on the same page on ways to improve public perception and delivery of services.
Sunday’s day-long session would be the second of the three-day crash course, each separated by a week. During the session, the UP chief minister and his ministers, along with their bureaucrats, would get down to narrowing down the ‘priority’ areas decided in last week’s session.
The ministers would again sit in groups to identify with officers the key areas before giving a presentation on how they think those areas could best be addressed.
The first session, last Sunday, was devoted to three crucial aspects: economy, leadership and communication.
As per the programme schedule prepared by the IIM-L, day two, titled ‘Manthan II’ (manthan means churning) would be devoted to “mapping stakeholder expectations” and “making the right tradeoffs.” It would also be an exercise in setting “accountabilities”; things that ministers would be taught through case analysis, simulations, group and individual assignments.
“Last week, one of the areas where some (ministers) thought required priority handling was law and order. But, then some of us also thought that on law and order, the government has managed to convey the right intent. However, it did feature among top 10 areas in the last session because it was felt that though we have done well, still it is one area which needs constant attention,” a minister said.
“The priority areas, whittled down to let’s say about five key areas that are collectively arrived at, would then be discussed threadbare with ministers who would also be encouraged to share their ideas of how to best tackle goals commonly agreed upon. So let’s say if tourism, or religious tourism is considered to be among the untapped areas with vast potential, then jointly, we, ministers and bureaucrats would discuss ways to expand on it,” a source at the institute said.
The Adityanath government completes two-and-a-half years of its term on September 19. Three days later, on September 22, management gurus from IIM-L would give Adityanath and his ministers the final session of the novel three-day management course.
The Adityanath government’s novel attempt to make ministers pick up modern concepts in governance and perception management had come in for criticism from the state’s main opposition Samajwadi Party.
“The Yogi government ministers are neither qualified nor do they have an understanding about governance. Half of its tenure is over and now they are taking classes on governance. They will only have classes now, and won’t be able to do any work just the way they failed in last two-and-a-half year,” said former UP minister Rajendra Chaudhary.
The ministers, however, appeared excited with the chief minister too sitting through the day long introductory session and later complimenting the institute for packaging learning in easy-to-comprehend manner. “It’s a newer way of learning and we certainly would benefit from it and use it for further connecting with the common man,” said UP’s energy minister Shrikant Sharma.
