Panel recommends overhauling of UP’s administrative depts

The Joint Working Group constituted by the government under the NITI Aayog has suggested a complete overhaul of administrative departments in Uttar Pradesh, to ensure greater convergence and effective implementation of the programmes.

“Such a restructuring effort would be aligned with the Prime Minister’s philosophy of minimum government, maximum governance,” the working group said.

Citing the example of the health sector, it said that in Uttar Pradesh, there was a separation between the Department of Medical Education and the Department of Medical Health and Family Welfare. Moreover, in the latter, the working group said, there was a separation between medical and health on the one hand and family welfare and NRHM on the other. In addition, there are numerous agencies responsible for implementing initiatives in different areas of health. “Fragmentation of this nature leads to coordination issues and makes it difficult to establish accountability due to multiple channels of reporting,” it said.

The NITI Aayog also offered its expertise in streamlining government departments by merging them or restructuring them to ensure better coordination. The working group was constituted after a 17-member high-level delegation of the NITI Aayog lead by its vice chairman Arvind Panagariya met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow last month to chalk out the state’s development road map.

After the meeting it was decided to form a Joint Working Group comprising of representatives from both the state government and NITI Aayog to work out a development roadmap for the state.