Mumbai, Jan 2 (TOI): Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has instructed all bureaucrats to act on the orders of ministers only if they are feasible and within the legal framework.
A one-page directive issued by chief secretary Swadheen Kshatriya states that, even if the CM, ministers and junior ministers have passed orders on the letters or memorandum received by them from elected representatives and prominent citizens, they should be implemented only after examining their feasibility. A senior bureaucrat said that at the state secretariat and during their field visits, the chief minister and his cabinet receive a large number of requests.
"They pass orders or write remarks after receipt of such letters and then they are submitted to the departments concerned for further action. The CM found that in several cases, senior bureaucrats and departmental heads issue orders for implementation based on the remarks of the CM and ministers. "When such letters are received by the CM, only one side is presented. However, there is no one to submit the other side. The CM's remarks are based on the contents of letters received and in several cases, it may happen that it will not be possible to implement the CM order," the bureaucrat said.
The bureaucrat said under such circumstances, on the orders of the CM, the chief secretary has prescribed a comprehensive procedure to deal with such letters. Accordingly, bureaucrats have been directed that once letters with the remarks of the CM and ministers are received by the departmental secretary, divisional commissioners or district collectors, they will first examine the feasibility of the proposal and resubmit the proposal back to the minister. "The CM says that in all such cases, even the draft of the reply should be approved by him," he said.
The bureaucrat added that in view of the specific order by the chief secretary, heads of departments across Maharashtra will have to be more alert. "There will be fewer embarrassments in future for the CM and cabinet members, since each and every remark will be examined by the competent authority before passing the final order," he said.
The bureaucrat recalled how a former state revenue minister was left red-faced after he appended a remark for issuing a licence for a stamp vendor. "The then revenue minister had written on the application, 'please consider'. On the basis of the remarks, a licence was issued to the vendor, despite the fact that it was not a directive," he said.