BENGALURU: The State Government has issued an order to all government officials who work in direct contact with people, right from village accountants to district deputy commissioners, to answer calls from the public as well as elected representatives.
Principal Secretary to the Revenue Department, Tushar Girinath, in an order, has directed the officials to either answer calls or call back without fail. It is the duty of the officials to address people’s woes and also interact with them, communicate and address issues raised by elected representatives, he noted.
Girinath stated that the officials are given phones from the government and the bills too are paid by it and hence, it is their duty to receive calls from people and addresses their problems.
Some government employees, however, have expressed displeasure over the move. An official from the Revenue departmen said, “We agree that we have to work for the people and elected representatives. But, if we keep answering calls or calling people back, when we will get time to work?”