Be servants of public, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami tells district collectors

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday urged the district collectors to be “servants” of the public and concentrate on the weekly grievance mechanism.

Chairing a meeting of district collectors at the secretariat, Palaniswami said field inspections and segregation of complaints are two crucial factors for the officials and this will help to reduce the public grievances. There has to be a system in place under which the received complaints are forwarded to department concern seeking immediate action. Further issues like drinking water, provision of utility connections, issue of patta, financial assistance schemes should be periodically monitored, as they play a major role in helping the public.

The Chief Minister also heaped praises on district collectors for effectively handling the 2017 drought and urged the district administrators to crosscheck and compare to their colleagues while addressing issues related to their region. He also urged the collectors not to delay files related to public welfare and state schemes.

“Collectors should be always be thinking about public welfare and you play a crucial role in law and order problems and natural disasters. You should be a public servant and your dedication is a service to the nation”, he said.

Insisting the collectors to reach out to the public through state schemes, he reiterated the bureaucrats to work in the direction of Vision 2023 authored by the former chief minister J. Jayalalithaa which had long-term plans to make Tamil Nadu, the number one state in economic development and public welfare.

Palaniswami also urged the district collectors to ensure effective implementation of various social welfare schemes that will empower rural population particularly women and farmers. He also directed the officials periodically desilt water bodies to meet the water demand.

Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, state ministers and chief
secretary Girija Vaidyanathan were among those present on the occasion.