Designated officers must attend all ‘jan sunwai’ camps: Delhi CM

Sending representatives or subordinate staff would not be acceptable under any circumstances, she had directed.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday ordered mandatory attendance of designated officers at “jan Sunwai” (public hearing) camps, warning disciplinary actions against officers who miss these hearings.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta (HT Photo)

“If a designated officer is unable to attend, they must obtain prior permission from the concerned District Magistrate. Absence without such permission will invite disciplinary action,” the statement released by the CM Office on Tuesday mentioned.

The divisional commissioner has issued an order in this regard and copies have also been sent to all department heads, as well as to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and the Delhi Cantonment Board, an official from the CM Office said.

The divisional commissioner has now ordered each department to nominate officers at the sub-divisional or deputy commissioner level to regularly attend these meetings, it said.

CM Gupta said that officers’ presence is part of their accountability to the public, and it cannot be ignored. In a meeting with the divisional commissioner and all district magistrates on April 7, CM Gupta had directed that at least one public hearing camp be held every week in each district.

The latest statement mentioned that she had also instructed regularly organising inter-departmental coordination committee meetings in various sub-divisions. Sending representatives or subordinate staff would not be acceptable under any circumstances, she had directed.

It was, however, observed by the divisional commissioner’s office that some officers from various departments had failed to attend public hearing camps and coordination meetings, the order said.

The divisional commissioner has now ordered each department to nominate officers at the sub-divisional or deputy commissioner level to regularly attend these meetings, it said.