The Cabinet Secretariat has asked all Central government departments to work out specific targets to be achieved by 2022, when India will complete 75 years of independence.

Maximum governance

The Ministries have also been asked to adopt the tenet of ‘minimum government, maximum governance’ in their work, by using technology, so as to improve processes and service delivery.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is monitoring the Ministries’ progress in implementing projects and policy initiatives under the e-Samiksha mechanism for tracking the progress on projects and policy initiatives on a real-time basis, officials said.

“Since 2022 will mark India’s 75th year of independence, all departments and autonomous bodies or organisations under them have been asked to propose their goals to be achieved by then,” said an official.

Reform areas

“Most Ministries have responded with some broad goals. For instance, the Labour and Employment Ministry has said it will introduce a policy for regulating private employers, amend the Contract Labour Act, 1970, to spur job creation and bring in a national domestic workers’ policy,” the official said.

Separately, the Departments have been told to identify five-seven major reform areas that need attention, while highlighting ‘transformative changes’ already undertaken. “The thrust is on the government’s commitment to minimise government and maximise governance,” the official said. Cabinet Secretary P.K/ Sinha will review the Ministries’ performance.

The Ministries have also been asked to ensure that there is no difference in their responses to questions raised in Parliament by MPs and questions received under the Right to Information Act. “Officers dealing with RTI questions should be sensitised on a weekly basis to the need for giving appropriate replies,” an official memo to the Ministries said.