In a way, the Chief Minister has made outcomes the measure of transparency. During a virtual review of some of the top brass, she let it be known that any department found holding onto welfare money could be on the short end of the stick in the next budget. It was a shift in tone from all the talk of new plans to the reality of delivery, especially as the city has to deal with a heatwave and the monsoon on its way.
Why the push for open books is on the table
Gupta put her secretaries and heads of departments on a video call to make one thing plain: what’s in the budget has to be felt by the public. There’s no wiggle room on sticking to the schedule, and she wants to see the kind of progress you can put your finger on.
She was hosting from home, in keeping with a government move to be more frugal with fuel and resources in these uncertain times. A small thing, but it made a point about the kind of efficient, no-nonsense governance she is after.
A hard line on the budget
The message was straightforward. If an agency doesn’t put its share to good use, don’t be surprised if the numbers are reined in come next year. It’s about looking out for the public; you can’t have money set aside for welfare just sitting there while people are left waiting.
Every department has been told to keep a close eye on their projects and put in the reports. We’ve also asked them to be on top of uploading the details of what’s pending or of import to the PM Pragati portal. It’s the only way to have a proper handle on what’s being done.
Here is what was put on the table at the review:
– Be on time with your uploads to the PM Pragati portal for key and outstanding projects
– Make sure you are reviewing your schemes and we are seeing the updates
– Get the desilting of the drains done before the rain starts
– Some cross-departmental coordination is needed to hit our marks
Monsoon is not something to be unprepared for
That was the main order of business. Gupta has given the word to clean and desilt every drain in Delhi, big or small, ahead of the rains. Laxity won’t be an option here.
As the CMO puts it, staving off waterlogging is a top concern. The departments have been told to move faster on the desilting and clear up any hiccups so we don’t have the usual flooding to contend with.
Some housekeeping in governance
We looked at more than just the welfare side of things. Things like biometric attendance, how we handle grievances, even the plantation drives were put under a microscope, along with where we stand on development work.
There is an expectation of some give and take between departments. They need to be in sync and deliver, in line with the promise to see through all the budget items we put forward.
We’ve also put out some word on solar, saving water, and how to use social media in a way that is of use to the public. You could call it a matter of long-term sense and better lines of communication with the people.
A word to the public in this heat
With the mercury rising, I’ve put out a note on X for residents to be careful. Drink up, stay in the shade, and don’t let the sun get to you.
It goes for the animals and birds in the city, too. I’ve asked for a bit of care for them, to put out some water and cover while the weather is this way.
All in all, you can see we are taking a harder look at how we do things. The ball is in the departments’ court: show us the work, be open about it, and put the money to use. Or you can face the prospect of a leaner budget later on.
We’ll be watching the dashboards and the results on the street. Do the right thing on the Pragati portal, the timelines, and the pre-monsoon work, and Delhi will be in good shape. Don’t, and you’ll feel the edge of the budget cuts I was talking about.
