Green endeavour hits red tape, who is to blame?

I have 35 years of experience in government service and that too at a higher level. It’s true that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but in government offices it’s exactly the opposite. Public servants have an advantage — they don’t have the fear of losing their job, even if there is any lapse on their part. No punitive action is taken against them and they continue to work at their whims and fancies. Some are insensitive to matters that need to be addressed urgently. All they do is sip tea and gossip. To stop all this, employees should be hired on a contractual basis. The duration of one’s service and related benefits should depend on the renewal of his/her contract and for this performance and devotion should be taken into consideration. The other option is curtailing gratuity or encashment of earned leave.

Dr Gurdev Singh, Mohali

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Red tape a scourge

Ostentatious outbursts, sloganeering, rallies and seminars have become the latest fad. All this is done for cheap publicity. The apathy of the authorities can be gauged from the fact that they did not replant a 15-year-old tree uprooted during a thunderstorm. Their silence was quite appalling. A conducive environment is the need of the hour so that officials work honestly and do not let red-tapism creep into the system.

Rajesh Bajaj, Chandigarh

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Residents’ contribution should be acknowledged

The UT Administration should be more proactive in the formulation and implementation of the Greening Chandigarh Action Plan. A clear-cut policy should be chalked out after consulting all stakeholders. The policy ought to be put in the public domain for the better implementation through public participation and third party audit/social audit. Acknowledge and honour the contribution of resident(s) who take initiative to preserve the green cover of the city. Besides, penalise guilty officials who delay restoration of trees.

Dr Rajeev Kumar, Chandigarh

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Slack officials should be punished

Government officials are rude and take weeks to finish off a day’s work. This is because they are seldom found in their seats. A file is made to pass through four officials, which is just a waste of time. When the work can be done in a day, why take weeks? The officials should be issued directions to clear a file within two days. Those who defy the orders should be punished. Their annual increments should be stopped.

RK Kapoor, Chandigarh

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More saplings should be planted

Lakhs of trees have been axed for the widening of roads. There are many trees which, if replanted, can survive without a regular supply of water. Such trees should be shifted to nearby forest areas to maintain the ecological balance. Since there has been a mass cutting of trees, efforts should be made to plant more and more saplings.

Harish Kapur, Chandigarh

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Replant uprooted trees

A large number of trees are being axed along roads to widen them. The Administration can do its bit by replanting trees that are quite old. If one tree is axed, four sapling should be planted to make up for the loss. This way, our greens will be preserved and infrastructure upgraded without any harm to the ecology.

Nikita Kapur, Chandigarh

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Accountability should be fixed

The delay in such cases is caused due to the “slack approach” of officials. There should be no room for gossip sessions and the work culture should be such that every employee is made to work efficiently. There should be a single-window clearance system and a policy in this regard should be implemented. There are lapses because nobody is held accountable. When a green corridor can be created to ferry organs without any hassles, why can’t the working in government offices be improved.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma

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Officials don’t practise what they preach

The problem is that everybody preaches, but nobody practises. Be it a government employee or a police official, nobody reaches out to a person in distress on time. Politicians are not interested in solving commoners’ problems unless those have something to do with their vote bank.

MPS Chadha, Mohali

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Trees on slip roads should be relocated

Trees along service/slip roads can lead to fatal mishaps at night or in case of low visibility. The Administration should identify such trees and replant those at other places. Funds will be required for the job. A sub-division of the Horticulture Department can be entrusted the task to make things accessible for the general public. The need of the hour is a single-window clearance system.

Bhupinder S Sealopal, Mohali

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Old trees should be maintained

The effort of a nature lover to save an old tree is praise-worthy. The service is self-less. Trees give us so much and such a gesture is no less than an eye-opener. Life is a two-way process. Sadly, a few people believe in this exchange of giving and caring. We should join hands to save our mother earth. Since many trees in Chandigarh are as old as the city itself, we should take steps to maintain them. The process of providing earth-moving machines, tractors and even manpower should be simplified so that the old trees can be relocated easily.

Kamalpreet Kaur, Mohali

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Proceedings should be transparent

All proceedings should be transparent and time-bound. The best way to do this is by switching to online clearances through web portals of various departments. A person can fill in an application and officials concerned can tell him/her how long will it take them to address the problem. The officials can keep the applicant posted.

Tejinder Singh Kalra, Mohali

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Priority should be to preserve green areas

Chandigarh is a well-planned city. In the beginning, all facilities were provided, but with the passage of time, things changed. Now, the Administration does not pay attention towards cleanliness and preserving the greens. The authorities should chalk out a proper plan before going ahead with a new project. It should give instructions to the staff to give cleanliness a priority. The authorities should fix the responsibility of officials. It should take strict action against those who do not perform their duty. No one has the right to spoil the greenery of the city. The Administration should grow more trees before the rainy season.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

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Admn can rope in NGOs

We need determination and dedication to achieve any goal. Any project or a proposal that lacks proper planning fails to take off. The Greening Chandigarh Action Plan, a brainchild of the UT, has been in place since 2001, but could not yield the desired result. Officials need to give up their slackness if they really want the scheme to work. The administration can involve NGOs to spread awareness among the public.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

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Insensitivity synonymous with UT Admn

It does not surprise me that the department concerned took a week to give its nod to a nature lover who wanted to replant an uprooted tree. Insensitivity is synonymous with the Administration. Earlier too, there have been instances when the authorities chose to sit back and do nothing. Everybody knows how officials sit on files and take a month of Sundays to get various works done. One such project is an under-pass at the Mani Majra level crossing, which has been hanging fire for more than a decade. Then, there is the metro project.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

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Taxpayers’ money should not be wasted

In the past too, I have suggested that the department concerned must be held responsible for negligence and not performing its duty properly. There is no doubt that nature lovers are ready to assist officials, but then the latter should not waste taxpayers’ money and work efficiently. I think accountability should be fixed.

Tarlok Singh, Mani Majra

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Form a committee to look into matter

Despite switching to computers, the mindset of bureaucrats has not changed. They delay things on purpose. There are a large number of trees that have been damaging boundary walls or buildings and need to be relocated or axed. Under the Citizens Charter/RTS Act, it has been made mandatory to dispose of all requests in a time-bound manner. A committee comprising officials from Forest, Horticulture and Electricity Departments should be formed. It should be empowered to give permission for the axing of trees.

AS Ahuja, Chandigarh

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Each family should plant 2 saplings

It’s high time, the government cleaned up the system by clearing files on time. Those responsible for delaying work should be taken to task. The government has ended the VIP culture and only it can make the functioning of the Administration transparent. The number of trees should be increased. Each family should plant two saplings every year.

SS Arora, Mohali

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Staff should be well-trained

To improve the speed of work in government institutes, machinery and devices should be updated. The staff should be well-trained to use these hi-tech devices. Employees’ work report should be generated automatically. Emphasis should be on teamwork. Biometric attendance also helps check the time spent by each worker in office.

Umang, Ambala