One month of
#TVK govt: Key takeaways from the early administration.
• Focus appears to be on streamlining government functioning and reducing red tape and irregularities.
• Move to eliminate limited / fixed tenders and tighten procurement processes with transparency.
• Contractors reportedly put on notice across departments over compliance and timelines. Mainly Highways, PWD, MAWS, WRD - four cash rich departments.
• Key rejig in town planning dept: 28-day deadline set for building approvals; officials told to avoid unnecessary summoning of builders, architects and applicants. All communications told to be kept online.
• En masse transfers of officials aimed at resetting administrative structures, remove entrenched political nexus.
• Digitisation push in public services, including Registration and HR&CE. Move to improve transparency and reduce crowd at sub registrar offices.
• Review of old files and reassessment of ongoing projects before fresh approvals.
• No major project announcements done yet, due to stricter scrutiny of proposals as many largely were done by previous regime.
(Eg: Roads, drains or special projects).
• IAS officers appear to have been given greater operational freedom on day-to-day administration.
• Focus on tightening oversight and functioning of TASMAC operations.
• Ministers still appear to be settling into governance roles, officials run the show.
• Early emphasis seems to be on administrative clean-up, implementation of existing schemes, and maintenance of daily government operations.
Next test: whether these administrative changes sustain and translate into faster delivery and visible outcomes. How quickly ministers get into their roles.