Sun Oct 27 16:54:13 UTC 2024: Published – October 27, 2024 10:24 pm IST – LucknowDescribing it as “unfair”, the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision on grading District Magistrates (DMs) and Divisional Commissioners based on their performance in promoting investments and facilitating loans in their respective districts, and including this in their Annual Confidential Report (ACR), former Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan on Sunday (October 27, 2024) said it would place additional pressure on civil servants whose primary job was to look after law and order and administration in districts.
“To evaluate the DM or Commissioner on basis of investments received, or making this the main criteria for evaluation, will not be fair as civil servants in districts have multiple responsibilities, including [enabling access to] rural development schemes, maintaining law and order, and implementation of government programmes for the poor and marginalised. If investment promotion is made a prime criteria, officials may disregard their basic job and [it would] divert their attention,” Mr. Ranjan, retired 1978 batch U.P. cadre IAS officer, said.Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Ranjan said that some districts close to Delhi, including Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar, had a geographical advantage in garnering investments, and uniform assessment of DMs across U.P.’s districts was thus not possible. He said the decision could force officers to run after investors for signing Memorandums of Understanding based on investment intent, which may not transform into actual investments.
“Each district is different. Districts in close proximity to the national capital Delhi have locational and logistic advantages in generating investment opportunities. However, in eastern U.P., investors are not interested due to multiple factors. Even if the DM tries hard, he will not be able to attract investments,” Mr. Ranjan, who served as Chairperson of UPSIDC (Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation) in the Akhilesh Yadav government, said.At the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023, out of the total investment proposals estimated at ₹33.5 lakh crore, Gautam Buddh Nagar district secured 27.16%, while the districts of eastern U.P., including Ballia, Ghazipur, and Chandauli, which adjoin Bihar, received investment proposals estimated at 0.06%, 0.08%, and 0.41%, respectively, of the total proposals.
Uttar Pradesh on October 25 announced that the ACR of DMs and Divisional Commissioners in the State would include specific assessments of their efforts in promoting investments in their respective districts, with the grading of officials to be based on their performance in it.
DMs and Commissioners will now be required to prepare reports detailing their efforts to attract investments in their respective areas, which would be assessed. “U.P. introduced a new monitoring system that will hold District Magistrates (DMs) and Divisional Commissioners accountable for investment progress in their areas. Under this initiative, each officer’s Annual Confidential Report (ACR) will now include specific assessments of their efforts in promoting investment and facilitating loans in their area of work, with grading based on performance,” the U.P. government said.The assessment will include timely allotment of land for investments, subsidies on land, changes in land use, clearance of land, and the establishment of a land bank for entrepreneurs, along with regular monitoring and updates. DMs who excel in attracting investment will receive higher grades and special recognition from the government.
The State government said the step would encourage accountability and competition among officers.Published – October 27, 2024 10:24 pm IST
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