Puri asks officials to be on toes
NEW DELHI: In a move aimed at fast-tracking the execution and implementation of different programmes, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, who completed one month in office on Tuesday, has decided to review progress of new urban missions once in 15 days with the secretary and heads of all new urban missions launched during the last three years.
According to sources, the day-long review meeting would be undertaken on every first and third Tuesday of a month. Puri, who left for Kochi on Tuesday for the inauguration of a section of the metro rail, spoke his mind out to all the senior officials of the ministry on Monday on the way forward to ensure effective implementation through intense monitoring of outcomes on the ground.
“Anything that can be measured can be changed. It implies that if we don’t monitor and measure the outcomes, the intended change may not come through was his caveat to the senior officials,” a source said quoting the words of the minister.
According to sources, the minister also prioritised the outcomes to be monitored under each mission like the number of waste-to-wealth projects made functional and toilets built during the fortnight under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) vis-à-vis targets statewise, numbers of water supply connection provided under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), projects completed in each of the first batch of 20 smart cities, affordable houses sanctioned and built under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), etc.
Puri also stressed that progress report should highlight the efforts made by the central and state governments to speed up execution and implementation hurdles resolved during the last 15 days and reasons for the delay if any, the source said.
“The minister also underlined the need for effective dissemination of the narrative emerging on the ground under different missions at Centre, state and city level through appropriate communication strategies to further improves informed participation of citizens in urban governance, planning and execution,” the source said. Puri was inducted into the council of ministers on September 3 and assumed charge the next day.