BELAGAVI: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar issued a strong warning to government officials during the Belagavi divisional-level progress review meeting held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, directing the bureaucracy to move away from office-centric administration and adopt a people-focused, field-level approach.
Sending a clear message on accountability and discipline, the Chief Minister said officials must perform their duties efficiently, remain accessible to citizens and ensure that public grievances are resolved without unnecessary delays.
D K Shivakumar stressed that while elected representatives face the people during elections once every five years, government officials are accountable to citizens every day through the services they provide.
He warned that negligence, indiscipline and failure to perform duties would invite strict action.
20-Point Administrative Mandate
During the meeting, the Chief Minister issued a series of directions covering administrative accountability, grassroots governance, urban planning, land management, education, employment, electoral integrity and social harmony.
Accountability and Discipline
- Public service must remain the administration’s highest priority: Officials were reminded that serving citizens is their fundamental responsibility and negligence in performing duties will not be tolerated.
- Officials must remain accountable every day: Government officers must maintain public trust through transparent, responsive and efficient administration.
- Mobile phones banned during official meetings: Shivakumar warned that any official found speaking on or using a mobile phone during an official review meeting could face immediate suspension proceedings.
Field-Level Governance
- Officials must reside within their jurisdictions: District and taluk-level officers have been directed to stay within their respective places of posting to ensure availability during emergencies and improve accessibility to the public.
- End unnecessary office-to-office runarounds: Citizens should not be forced to visit multiple government offices repeatedly for routine services and minor administrative work.
- Daily monitoring of field officials: Senior district officials must closely monitor the field activities, inspections and village visits carried out by subordinate officers.
- Strengthen Praja Seva: The newly established Praja Seva department must become an effective platform for delivering government services and resolving citizens’ grievances.
- Resolve issues at the local level: Matters that can legally be settled at the village, taluk or district level should not be unnecessarily delayed or pushed to higher authorities.
Scientific Urban Planning and Land Management
- Stop unplanned urban expansion: The Chief Minister directed officials to prevent haphazard expansion of cities and ensure that future development follows scientific planning principles.
- Crack down on unauthorised layouts: Unapproved and unscientifically developed residential layouts must be prevented, with officials instructed to strictly enforce planning regulations.
- Expand free E-Khatha services statewide: The doorstep, zero-cost E-Khatha initiative is to be expanded beyond Bengaluru and implemented for households across districts in Karnataka.
- Conduct a statewide government land audit: Revenue authorities have been directed to identify and document government land across the state and protect public property from encroachment. Available land should be utilised, wherever possible under law and policy, to provide housing sites to landless families.
Education and Youth Employment
- Develop CSR-supported schools: Building on the Karnataka Public Schools model, the government plans to involve industries and companies through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to develop modern, well-equipped schools.
- Create 10–20 quality schools in every constituency: The government aims to improve access to quality education and reduce the gap between rural and urban educational facilities.
- Launch Yuva Udyoga Setu: A dedicated employment platform will connect young people and graduating students with private-sector job opportunities and help bridge the gap between education and employment.
Electoral Integrity and Social Harmony
- Keep politics away from voter-list revision: The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that the Special Intensive Revision process remains impartial and transparent, while protecting the voting rights of every eligible citizen.
- BLOs must visit every household: Booth Level Officers have been instructed to physically visit households multiple times, with at least three visits where required, to ensure accurate voter verification and prevent eligible voters from being left out.
- Establish voter assistance centres: Dedicated voter help desks and assistance centres must be created at the ward level to help citizens with voter registration, corrections and related services.
- Promote constitutional values among youth: The government plans to establish 10,000 Bharat Jodo Yuva Sanghas across Karnataka to promote constitutional values, social harmony and the message of Vishwamanava associated with poet Kuvempu.
- ₹10 lakh support for each youth association: Each eligible youth association under the initiative is proposed to receive financial assistance of ₹10 lakh to undertake programmes promoting unity, constitutional awareness and social responsibility.
Development, Transparency and Discipline
Concluding his directions to the bureaucracy, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar identified three principles that should guide the administration: Development, Transparency and Discipline.
The message from the Belagavi review meeting was clear — officials are expected to remain accessible, work actively in the field, resolve citizens’ problems at the lowest possible administrative level and deliver measurable results.
The Chief Minister warned that indiscipline and negligence would not be tolerated, signalling a push towards stronger field administration and greater accountability across Karnataka.
