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In a detailed government resolution (GR) issued on Thursday (November 20), the state government has issued comprehensive guidelines to all state departments, semi-government offices and government-controlled bodies to treat MLAs and MPs with utmost respect and courtesy. The initiative aims to enhance good governance, transparency and administrative efficiency across the state.
The GR issued by the General Administration Department states that officials at every level, from the ministry to the district and taluka offices, should maintain complete courtesy towards public representatives. In short, officials falling under the ambit of administrative departments as well as other departments, district heads, station heads, government offices, executive offices, institutions, boards, corporations, government agencies and similar institutions will have to follow the new set of conduct codes.
This new GR brings together several older circulars and updates them with clearer, stronger instructions.
What does GR read?
This issue was under consideration of the Government from the good governance perspective and as part of the process re-engineering initiative.
Its objective is to create a coherent and efficient system. Its objective is to ensure respectful treatment of public representatives, prompt and effective communication of their documents, their active participation in the governance process, effective coordination of information and transparency and to make communication with public representatives more convenient, consistent and effective and to make governance more consistent, responsive and trustworthy.
The GR said any officer who ignores these instructions will face action under service rules, including provisions related to delay in duty. It said that giving due respect to elected representatives, timely responding to their concerns and ensuring smooth communication are important parts of making the administration more credible and accountable.
In simple words, the guidelines have been divided into some categories which are as follows:
1. Respect and courtesy:
– When an MLA/MP visits the premises, the concerned officers/staff will treat him/her with courtesy and respect, listen to him/her attentively and provide immediate assistance as required.
– When the Members of the Legislative Assembly/Member of Parliament visit the premises and leave at the end of the tour, the officers will stand and welcome them.
– Always maintain polite language and etiquette while communicating through telephone/phone.
2. Government programs and invitations:
– Government and semi-government bodies should invite local MLAs to important district-level events like inauguration or bhoomi pujan. Their names should be printed correctly in the invitations and seating arrangements should be made according to the official order of priority.
3. Reserved Time:
– Department heads must reserve two hours on the first and third Thursday of every month exclusively for meetings with MLAs, MPs and local citizens, although urgent matters can be addressed outside these specified times.
– The Government advises to avoid major local level events during legislative sessions, unless unavoidable, to focus on parliamentary work.
4. Events/Programs during the Assembly Session:
-Important local programs should not be organized while the Assembly session is going on. If any event is unavoidable, it should be scheduled on a day when the House is not sitting.
5. Compliance with the recommendations of the Privileges Committee:
-Departments have been asked to strictly follow the instructions issued by the Privileges Committee of the Assembly. He should immediately act on the notices received from the Legislature Secretariat and inform the Committee. It said any breach of privilege should be reported immediately and disciplinary action should be initiated against the officer concerned.
6. Correspondence – Records, Timeline and Review:
– A separate physical/digital register should be maintained in each office for the record of letters received from MLAs/MPs. The circular directs strict timelines for responding to correspondence from public representatives within stipulated time and each office will have to maintain a physical or digital register to record letters received from MPs and MLAs.
-Except in cases related to transfer or promotion, officials will have to send the final reply within two months. If the reply cannot be issued within this period, the officer must inform in writing the Head of the Department and the concerned MP or MLA explaining the delay. Heads of departments have been asked to review the status of pending papers once every three months.
The GR states that information sought by MPs and MLAs for their parliamentary or public functions should be provided free of charge, except where disclosure is prohibited under the Right to Information Act. It also reminds departments to keep all mandatory disclosures required under the Act updated on their websites.
“Training institutes under various departments should include modules on protocol and courteous conduct towards public representatives, both at the induction level and during in-service training,” the GR underlined.