Jamshedpur, July 21: In a first-of-its-kind step to address issues related to flaws in implementation of government development and welfare schemes, East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amit Kumar on Thursday started �coffee with collector� at his chamber.
The idea is to ensure better communication with stakeholders and public representatives. It will thus help in identifying and the gaps in execution of government schemes and problems faced by masses at the grassroots level.
The maiden initiative was an hour-long weekly session which began today with block pramukhs (block heads of 11 blocks in the district) and was attended by 10 blocks over coffee and snacks.
�The initiative was taken during my stint as deputy commissioner in Chatra and it gave fruitful results which had made me introduce this �coffee with collector� sessions in East Singhbhum too.
The idea is to connect a better communication with elected and non-elected representatives for better monitoring of the execution of government schemes and ensure that benefits reaches the desired populace in better manner. This would also help us to know about ground realities in a better platform,� said Amit Kumar.
Moreover, the state HRD minister Neera Yadav had in a district planning committee meeting yesterday at district collect orate took serious note to complaints by public representatives over lack of toilets in state-owned schools despite claims made by district education officials in their report about compliance with state government directive of ensuring toilets in each school.
The district public relation officer, Sanjay Kumar informed that from now onwards they would prepare a monthly schedule of �coffee with collector� and the stakeholders and representatives would be intimated in advance.
�The maiden session was very interactive. The deputy commissioner has asked that apart from elected representatives (MLAs, zilla parishads, ward members and other panchayat raj representatives such interactions would also be held with trade unions, students body, chamber bodies and other associations in a phase wise manner,� said Sanjay Kumar.
