Work to bridge gap between govt and people: Raje to officials

Bikaner, June 20: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who arrived here this afternoon along with her cabinet colleagues, said the 'sarkar aapke dwar' (government at your doorstep) programme was a unique initiative by her government to win the trust of the people.

As part of the programme, public hearings and cabinet meetings are held at the divisional level to address people's grievances and take up development issues of the region.

Raje on June 19 held a meeting of her council of ministers and senior officials on the Rajasthan Veterinary University campus here. The Chief Minister said historical steps were being taken by her government to reach out to the last person standing in the periphery who had been denied access to the administration since Independence.

She asked the officials to give top priority to public grievances and work with dedication and commitment in order to bridge the gap between the government and the common man.

"The government had a very good experience during the first such campaign in Bharatpur division in February this year. New ideas were envisaged to redress various issues and give relief to the people," the Chief Minister said.

"The campaign was not just a 10-day affair, but follow-up on the people's problems was being carried out at different level even today," she said. Witnessing success of the Bharatpur visit, the state government has now reached Bikaner and will camp here till June 30, she added.

Likewise, the government would reach all the divisions and prepare time-bound development plan for all regions. The timing of the visit to Bikaner division was fixed during this peak summer period so that ministers and officials get a "real feel of the grievances in this region and offer relief to the public", she said.

"The government should not run from air-conditioned rooms all the time, but from the ground. That's why this event was scheduled during this extreme hot weather. The people of this region face serious crisis of water and power supplies during this time," she said.

The Chief Minister would tour all four districts of the division between June 24 and 29. Referring to sprucing up of the area in view of her visit, Raje said that "the entire division had been polished and I wish this shine would not diminish after the government leaves the region".

PTI