By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 21 Apr: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while virtually addressing all District Magistrates on Monday, emphasised that resolving public grievances swiftly should be given topmost priority to ensure transparency and accountability in governance.
Reviewing preparations for the upcoming Chardham Yatra, the Chief Minister directed officials to coordinate closely with local public representatives, hoteliers, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless arrangements. He stated that since the Chardham Yatra is not only a spiritual journey but also linked to the livelihood of local communities, continuous coordination with all stakeholders is essential.
The CM instructed all departmental secretaries and DMs to ensure comprehensive and efficient management during the pilgrimage. He stressed making the Yatra clean, beautiful, and eco-friendly, involving public participation. Cleanliness, beautification, and enhancement of pilgrim facilities along the route should be a top priority. Special attention should be given to traffic management to prevent inconvenience to both pilgrims and locals.
On the issue of forest fire management, the CM instructed the Forest Department and DMs to be fully prepared, especially in fire-prone areas. Adequate firefighting equipment should be ensured and contact details of local citizens and public representatives updated for quick response in case of incidents. Dedicated teams must be deployed in vulnerable zones with constant monitoring and mobile patrols.
The CM further directed that no region should face drinking water shortages during summer. Any such issues should be resolved immediately, and adequate deployment of water tankers ensured. DMs were asked to hold local-level reviews to resolve water supply issues.
Keeping the monsoon season in view, all departments have been instructed to take preventive safety measures, and the CM sought updates on the progress of flood-prevention works. All necessary corrective actions must be taken in waterlogging-prone areas.
The Chief Minister urged DMs to hold regular public hearings, utilise Tehsil Diwas, BDC meetings, and multi-purpose camps to extend the benefits of government schemes to more citizens. He said public services must be delivered efficiently, minimising citizens’ need to make repeated visits to offices. Delays by government personnel will not be tolerated, and strict action will be taken.
The CM stressed that complaints related to electricity bills must be addressed immediately and the installation of smart meters expedited.
Addressing concerns around unauthorised settlement and identity document misuse, the CM instructed that the issuance of Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, and utility connections to ineligible individuals must be halted immediately. Any government personnel found complicit must be suspended immediately, with termination proceedings initiated. He asserted that no compromise will be made on state security.
The Chief Minister further instructed both Divisional Commissioners to conduct field inspections personally and submit a detailed progress report to the CMO ahead of the next review meeting.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Kumaon Commissioner Deepak Rawat, Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, and all District Magistrates.
