Gandhinagar: In a bid to make governance more people-oriented, Gujarat govt will embark on a ‘Reform Utsav’ from Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to Dec 25, which is observed as Good Governance Day to mark the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The chief secretary made a presentation on ‘Reform Utsav’ at the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday and directed the administration to begin preparations for the campaign.As part of the initiative, ministers and senior govt officials will fan out across cities, towns and villages in the state to interact with citizens and seek their feedback on ways to improve governance.The feedback gathered during the exercise will be categorised department-wise and forwarded to the respective departments. Officials will then prepare action plans to address citizens’ suggestions and grievances and incorporate feasible changes.“The state govt will make broad policy changes if required, and each department will also make required changes in their processes and workflows,” said a top official.The exercise will also cover issues falling under the purview of the Union govt. Suggestions and grievances concerning central govt departments will be compiled and sent to the Centre for consideration, officials said.“There has been a communication from the Union govt as well, asking states to seek feedback from people and make necessary changes in governance,” said an official. The initiative is expected to provide the state govt with direct feedback from citizens on gaps in existing systems and processes, with departments tasked with translating the feedback into administrative and policy-level reforms.
