MoU signed on good governance

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 3. As part of efforts to gear the official machinery for good governance, the State Government has taken the initiative to train officers and employees in the best administrative practices and skills available in the world.

Towards this goal, the Dr. M. Channa Reddy Human Resources Development (Dr. MCR HRD) Institute has entered into an agreement with the John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG) of Harvard University with the aim of building the capacity of the HRD institute to provide world class instruction in principles of good governance, development and solution of public policy problems.

The statement of intent was signed by Mr. P.V.R.K. Prasad, Director-General of Dr. MCR HRD Institute, and Mr. Peter Zimmerman, senior associate dean for executive education programme of KSG, in the presence of the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, here on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said the arrangement between the two institutions would facilitate the attempts of his Government to provide good governance. The KCG would work with the Dr. MCR HRD Institute in developing a programme of assistance and training for Indian senior and middle level civil servants. After the first year, the programme will be expanded to include representatives from other Governments.

The collaboration could develop a specialised executive programme for top 120 senior policy officials who must lead the process of change and reform in A.P. The programme, lasting two to four weeks, would include instruction at the institute and also at Harward as well as distance learning. The programme would provide senior policymakers with lessons of global experience in development, economic reform and good governance.

A longer specialised executive programme would be developed later for 800 top administrative officials. It would last 6 to 8 weeks.Releasing a strategy paper on Governance and Public Management later, the Chief Minister announced that a Centre for Good Governance (CGG), being set up in Hyderabad in collaboration with the Department of International Development (DFID), would become operational during this month. The CGG would guide and coordinate the State Government's reform activities.

Mr. Naidu said the Right to Information Act would be brought in by the Government to empower citizens with the statutory right to access information from Government departments. The bill was being formulated with the experience drawn from all available sources. He could not say whether the bill would be introduced in the coming session of the State Assembly.The Chief Minister said a State training initiative had been evolved as part of which, efforts to provide training to about 4 lakh Government employees and public functionaries was under way. The MCR HRD Institute was being strengthened and district training centres had been set up in all districts. Six regional training centres were proposed to be set up. A training action plan to focus on ``change agents'' had been prepared and was under implementation.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Next     : PV's son held on charge of duping Rajni Kanth