The government decision to integrate different services to form the Local Self-Government Department and a municipal common service comprising employees working in various posts is expected to end departmentalism and also clear other hassles that impede the preparation and execution of Plan projects. The current decision is to integrate the Panchayat and Urban Affairs directorates, Rural Development and Town and Country Planning departments and the Local Self-Government Department engineering wing. The government has appointed a Principal Director to coordinate the functions of the different arms and the process of preparing the special rules is progressing too.
Those involved in the process of drafting the rules told The Hindu that the common service and the integrated functioning of the different arms would set the ground for smooth transfer of employees and do away with the departmentalism that is affecting the preparation and execution of district plans and micro-level projects at the grassroots.
Since block and grama panchayats come under different directorates at present, even in the case of local bodies governed by the same political party, preparing and executing a joint Plan project in the larger interest of the people of a locale is a tough task.
The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in 2006 had merged different departments to form the Local Self-Government Department, but the United Democratic Front (UDF) government trifurcated it on political grounds. The proposed dispensation would see different directorates functioning under one umbrella led by the Principal Director and all others would be reporting to him.
While preparing the special rules for the new dispensation, directions have been given to ensure that the seniority list of employees is prepared in a fool-proof manner and also clear their doubts to avoid confusion over the new service. Integration of the services and formation of the municipal common service is expected to give a fillip to the entire planning process and also the preparation of district plans, sources said.
