(a) whether the Government have taken any decision in regard to the administrative reforms during the year 1999-2000, till date;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government have constituted any Study Group to study the administrative reforms; and
(d) if so, the composition thereof and the details with regard to the tours undertaken and the report submitted by the Study Group?
THE MINISTER OF STATE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DISINVESTMENT AND THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION, MINISTER OF STATE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS AND PUBLIC GRIEVANCES OF THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS. (SHRI ARUN SHOURIE)
(a)&(b): Some of the steps taken by the Government in the recent past to improve the accountability and efficiency of the functioning of the Government as also the quality of the public service delivery are as follows:
(i) The Government have taken up simplification of laws, rules and procedures to improve the efficiency, service delivery and transparency in the functioning of the Government in the context of the recommendations of the Commission on Review of Administrative Laws which submitted its report in September, 1998. Important recommendations of the Commission include repeal of almost 50% of Central Laws (1382 out of 2500), documentation of Administrative Laws by all Ministries/Departments etc. Most of the Ministries have initiated action of to bring about suitable amendments/modifications in or repeal of Administrative Acts and laws being administered by them. 33 Acts, including three Ordinances, have been repealed so far.
(ii) A number of Ministries/Departments/organizations with considerable public interface have introduced Citizen`s Charters indicating broadly the quality of service the people would be entitled to within a specified time frame. So far, 68 Citizen`s Charters have been formulated by various Ministries/Departments which include 7 Citizen`s Charters formulated during the period from 1 April, 1999 onwards. Similarly, Information & Facilitation or Help Counters have been set up by 71 Ministries/Departments/Central Government organizations to provide information on procedures, programmes and schemes of the concerned organizations as well as to access information pertaining to the status of individual cases. This includes 26 such counters set up during the period from 1 April, 1999 onwards.
(iii) A High Powered Committee has been set up with the specific objective of improving administrative efficiency by using Information Technology in Government. Action has been taken, inter alia, to designate a Joint Secretary level officer as IT Manager in every Ministry/Department. 72 IT Managers have so far been appointed/nominated in various Ministries/Departments. The Ministries/Departments have been asked to implement a Minimum Agenda for e-Governance which includes setting up of LAN, 100% training to all staff who have access to computers, setting up of Learning Centres for decentralised training in computers, institution of websites etc.
(iv) The Freedom of Information Bill, 2000 has been introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 25, 2000.
(v) The grievance redress machinery set up in the Ministries/Departments of the Central Government has been strengthened considerably through review which are being carried out by a Standing Committee of Secretaries under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary.
(c)&(d): An Expenditure Reforms Commission has been constituted by the Ministry of Finance (Department of Expenditure) on 28 February, 2000 with a view, inter alia, to suggest a roadmap for reducing the functions, activities and administrative structure of Central Government as also to suggest measures for rationalizing the Government workforce. The composition of the Commission is as follows:
(i) Shri K.P. Geethakrishanan, Chairman Former Finance Secretary
(ii) Shri V.S. Jafa Member Former Financial Adviser, Ministry of Defence
(iii) Shri Kirit Parekh, Member Economist
(iv) Shri C.M. Vasudev Ex-officio Member Secretary (Expenditure) Ministry of Finance
(v) Shri Narayan Valluri Member Secretary