Mumbai: ‘Good’ governance manual revised after six decades

The preface of the governance manual, 1963

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has approved a 'good governance manual-2023' to make the administration more efficient and transparent. The manual, which was first published in 1963, has been revised after six decades.

The manual is a framework for administrative reforms, structure and procedure. The CMO said the revised format was the first-of-its-kind for any Indian state. "The document a committee of former bureaucrats has prepared to make the administration accountable, easy, efficient, dynamic and transparent was discussed on Friday.

The draft law made on the recommendations will be sent to the Law and Judiciary Department for approval," the CMO said, adding that a separate section for a Climate Change Department has been created.

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Service-seeking citizens and welfare scheme beneficiaries are the primary focus of the regulations. The state has an Act that promises services within a specific time period. The new recommendations may make the legal provision stronger.

Shinde had asked for such rules to be formulated last September.

A committee of retired bureaucrats Suresh Kumar, JK Banthia, Swadhin Kshatriya. KP Bakshi and AK Jain worked to create 16 chapters with over 200 suggestions. The panel had 43 meetings and visited 35 government departments to fine tune the document by consulting Mantralaya officers, non-governmental organisations and experts.

The manual has 161

indicators of good governance that will be verified from right from Mantralaya to district level offices. Public participation will be encouraged in a decision-making process.

The key result area (KRA) for every year; knowledge management centre to gather information of all departments at one place; delegation of power (three-stage clearance of files); central registry unit; weeding out of scrap; website monitoring and public grievance redressal system and updating of all e-offices are the salient features of the manual.

The end-to-end online service has been given a deadline. For this, the number of digital service centres will be increased and websites updated. All work will be done through e-office and all documents will be digitised.

To monitor the impact of climate change, a separate section for heat waves, unseasonal rain, etc., has been created. The manual also plans to ease the legislature work but not without taking the utmost care.