Bureaucrats on toes, take clues from BJP manifesto

LUCKNOW: While the new government is yet to take charge, the bureaucracy in the state seems to be on its toes, already.

Aware that the change in guard would mean different priorities, the government officials are said to be taking clues from BJP’s poll manifesto, ‘Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra -- 2017.’

If sources are to be believed, the 24-page document, which lists about 200 promises, is being studied by senior officers in different departments.

“We are studying the poll document and identifying the subjects relating to our department for appropriate action,” said an official while revealing that many copies of the manifesto, with spiral binding, have been made available to select secretaries and principal secretaries working in the state secretariat.

Officers were seen marking the document with highlighter and issuing necessary instruction to the staff working under them.

“Yes, we are identifying the items concerning our department. We will prepare document carrying details and work out action to be followed along with financial implications for implementation of each promise. This document will prove handy when the new government takes over and begins implementing the poll manifesto,” said a senior officer.

As waiver of crop loan for small and marginal farmers is the first poll promise mentioned in the manifesto and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to implement it at the first cabinet meeting of the new government, senior officers are busy collecting details about total loan amount and financial implications of implementing the decision.

Other major promises made in the poll manifesto include development of UP as a ‘food processing state’, setting up of food processing park in state’s six regions, setting up of antiland mafia task force in every district, administrative reforms to check corruption, judicial reforms, free wi-fi in all colleges and universities and setting up of 10 international level universities in the state.

Chief secretary Rahul Bhatnagar presided over a high level meeting and asked senior officers to work out details of all the important schemes and development projects and submit a report about status of their implementation.