Asking senior officials to work like corporates in the public sector, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday promised that his government would “protect good officers”.
Sharing his thoughts on how the administration should be under his government, in his first address to secretary-level officers and heads of departments, he said, “Both political representatives and officers are like the same family. In administration, if government decisions are on one side, its implementation is on the other. Officers play an important role in implementing government programmes.”
He asked the officials to think of ways to secure more funds from the Union government and how to utilise the funds in the best possible way.
People were coming to meet him from taluk and district centres, he said, and added that if their grievances were addressed locally, people need not travel to Bengaluru.
Mr. Kumaraswamy also asked the officials to identify government land to provide housing for the needy.
He later told reporters that he had outlined the government’s expectations from officials and promised to protect good officers. “I do not want to delve into what happened in the previous government. I have given guidelines on how to move forward. Among the major programmes, I have spoken about creating employment opportunities for the youth in rural areas, housing for all, and education and health.”
Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and Chief Secretary K. Ratna Prabha were among those present in the meeting.