Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja has issued a directive to ensure government officials gain firsthand field experience to improve the implementation of schemes and accelerate decision-making processes.
According to an official press release, in a letter addressed to all Additional Chief Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Commissioner-cum-Secretaries, Revenue Divisional Commissioners (RDCs), and Collectors, Ahuja emphasized that exposure to ground realities enhances the effectiveness and speed of government decision-making.
The Chief Secretary highlighted that officials handling administrative tasks in offices must understand the practical challenges faced by field functionaries and citizens during scheme implementation. To align policies with on-the-ground needs, Ahuja instructed all departments to create a schedule for officials, starting from Assistant Section Officers and Section Officers, to undertake rotational field visits. This mandate applies to personnel who typically do not conduct field tours.
During these visits, officials are to shadow grassroots field workers for a full day, closely observing the execution of department-specific schemes and programs. For instance, Women and Child Development (W&CD) Department officials may spend a day at an Anganwadi Centre, tracking the activities of an Anganwadi Worker. Similarly, Health and Family Welfare Department officials should observe the work of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). Ahuja also encouraged officials to make overnight stays at the visited locations to deepen their understanding.
The Chief Secretary clarified that the objective is not to supervise or review field workers but to learn unobtrusively about their roles, assess the impact on citizens, and identify challenges, best practices, and areas for improvement. Upon returning, officials must submit at least one suggestion or idea to their Department Secretary for enhancing scheme implementation.
Departments are tasked with consolidating these recommendations, evaluating them, and amending processes, policies, or guidelines to improve service delivery. Secretaries will present these insights at All Secretaries Meetings to foster cross-departmental learning.
Ahuja directed that the initiative begin this month, starting with Aspirational Districts, to bring administrative decision-making closer to ground realities and strengthen governance across Odisha.
