The Kerala chief minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, has reached out to the people by announcing a slew of welfare-cum-development priorities for the first 100 days in an obvious effort to spruce up the image of his government that is surviving on a slender majority.
Along with his customary “fast forward programmes,” the chief minister also announced a series of unprecedented steps to ensure accountability and transparency of his cabinet and the bureaucracy, responding to public concerns about corruption in high places.
Mr Chandy said after a special Cabinet session that the government had decided to make public the assets of ministers, their relatives and personal staff to ensure corruption free, accountable and transparent administration in the state.
Further, assets of all civil services officials, department heads, advocate general, senior legal functionaries of the government and their family members would also be put up on the websites.
Even though the ministers have to file their asset details before the chief minister every year and the civil services officers before the chief secretary, this is the first time that the details of their assets as well as of their family members would be in the public domain.
Mr Chandy said that the chief minister’s office would function 24/7 and staff would be available round the clock to attend to calls at any time.
A similar system would be put in place in the offices of all ministers soon.
All government orders would be made available on the websites on the same day for the scrutiny of people.
The UDF Cabinet, including the chief minister, will take part in a one day workshop to be organised by the IIM-Kozhikode shortly to attend classes on good governance and instant delivery mechanism.
Mr Chandy said the all BPL families would be provided Re 1 a kg rice during Onam. The government has also decided to introduce a policy whereby ration card would be provided on the day of submission of application.