Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday advised District Collectors to make field inspections in times of natural disasters, law and order issues and other disturbances.
“I expect to see you visit the site and fulfil the expectations of the public in solving problems. I hope you will fulfil my expectation,” Mr. Palaniswami said while addressing the District Collectors’ conference at the Secretariat. He reiterated this during his concluding remarks later in the day.
District Collectors were to act like general physicians, knowing the needs and problems of the public and offering necessary and efficient solutions, he said. “Files are not just papers. A person’s life or [access to] social schemes are behind them. So, ensure that the clearing of files is not delayed, and that they are cleared immediately to bring about solutions,” he said.
Various government schemes have to reach the marginalised sections of society, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Most Backward Castes, minorities, elders, women, children and the differently-abled, he said, and urged the officials to make efforts to ensure that the schemes reached them.
He recalled that input subsidy to the tune of ₹2,247 crore and insurance benefits up to ₹3,046 crore had been disbursed to farmers in view of the drought situation, and urged that the Integrated Farming Scheme and the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture be encouraged among farmers, besides the drip water irrigation scheme.
Stating that the State government was making special efforts to boost infrastructure in schools, he advised officials to ensure higher student enrolment ratio, pass percentage and zero drop-out rate from schools. He also said various social security schemes should reach the needy.
Tamil Nadu should soon become an “open defecation-free State”, he urged. Solid waste management was one of the key areas the officials should focus on, besides relief measures during natural disasters, law and order situations and internal disturbances. Land acquisitions should be completed at the earliest, so that infrastructure facilities such as roads and bridges could reach the people, the Chief Minister said.
