‘Save nos., answer calls of public reps or face action’ | Lucknow News
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh horticulture minister Dinesh Pratap Singh has issued a stern directive to senior officials, instructing them to maintain respectful and responsive communication with elected public representatives.In a letter addressed to the additional chief secretary and principal secretary of the horticulture and agricultural marketing departments, Singh expressed concern over officials not saving contact numbers of MLAs, MPs and other elected members. “During departmental reviews, I often check whether officials have saved these numbers. Unfortunately, I frequently find that they haven’t bothered,” he wrote. The minister made it clear that elected representatives deserve prompt and respectful responses. “From now on, if any public representative complains that their call was ignored or not returned, it will be considered a violation of discipline. An MLA’s protocol is higher than even the chief secretary’s,” Singh said. He further reminded officials of their constitutional obligation to visit the offices of public representatives, seek their guidance and cooperate with them in departmental matters. Singh stressed that elected leaders possess deeper local knowledge and are committed to serving their constituents, making their involvement essential for effective governance. Additionally, the minister directed officials to keep public representatives informed about delays in recommended works and involve them actively in the implementation of departmental schemes. “The directive is seen as a move to strengthen coordination between bureaucracy and elected leadership, ensuring smoother execution of public welfare initiatives across the state,” said an official source.
