Haryana Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda on Monday conducted a surprise inspection of the offices of the Higher Education Department and the Elementary Education Department in Panchkula as part of the state government’s efforts to strengthen administrative efficiency and accelerate the pace of governance.
During the inspection, Dhanda undertook a detailed review of the functioning of both departments, examined staff attendance and assessed the status of pending files and disposal of official work. Interacting with officers and employees, Dhanda said that ensuring complete transparency and timely execution of education-related works was among the priorities of the state government.
He stressed that public services and benefits meant for eligible citizens must be delivered within stipulated timelines and directed all officers and employees to discharge their responsibilities efficiently within the prescribed time frame. The common citizen should not be compelled to make repeated visits to government offices to get legitimate work done, said Dhanda.
The minister warned that negligence at any level would not be tolerated and said strict disciplinary action would be initiated against officials or employees found derelict in their duties. Emphasising digital governance and modern administrative practices, the Education Minister directed officers to ensure that all departmental data be updated online on a daily basis.
Taking serious note of pending matters identified during the inspection, he directed that all long-pending replies, files and cases be cleared and updated within one week without exception. He warned that if pending work was not completed within the prescribed deadline, accountability would be fixed and appropriate action taken against the officials and employees concerned.
The Education Minister also took a serious view of issues related to employee welfare within the department. He directed officers to ensure that medical reimbursement bills of Education Department employees were processed and cleared as early as possible. Employees should not be made to suffer or run from office to office for payments that are rightfully due to them, he added.
Mahipal Dhanda said any delay or negligence in processing medical bills would be the accountability of the Head of Department concerned and the officials the case is assigned to, and immediate action would be initiated against those found responsible.
Fortnightly performance reviews to be conducted
In a step towards strengthening administrative reforms and monitoring mechanisms, the Education Minister said that the inspection was not a one-time exercise and that he would personally review the performance of officers and employees every fifteen days. He said the fortnightly review meetings would assess the extent to which departmental instructions and timelines were being implemented. Any officer or employee found to be negligent towards official responsibilities would face appropriate action, he added.
Principal Secretary, School Education Department, Vijay Singh Dahiya; Director, Secondary Education, Jitender Dahiya; and Director, Higher Education, S Narayanan were among those present on the occasion.
