Date:16/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/16/stories/2008121652800400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Stalin distributes appointment orders

R.K. Radhakrishnan

Asks them to work in a manner to make the life of the common man easier

humane gesture: Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin handing over appointment orders in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: When Local Administration Minister M.K. Stalin handed over appointment orders to 69 persons on compassionate grounds, he set a new precedent – he told them what the government expected of them.

“When there are many educated and qualified unemployed waiting for a job, you should realise that you have been given this opportunity to serve the people because of the loss that has happened in your family,” he said and added that they should work in a manner to make the life of the common man easier. The average government office had the reputation of being an endless maze and it was the responsibility of the new persons entering the workforce to help change that tainted reputation.

He did not stop with that. He handed over a letter addressed to each of them – and he signed each of the letters himself [no photocopies, he said] – which reminded them of their duties and responsibilities. “This is the first time we are giving letters outlining their duties to the people. I have so far confined myself to briefing them when they come to collect the orders,” Mr. Stalin told The Hindu.

Those who received the appointment orders on Monday ranged from burial ground workers to office assistants. And most of them said they were moved as the Minister had taken the pains to write them a letter outlining their duties and responsibilities. The Minister said he intended to speak to staff and write to them at the time of their appointment. On compassionate appointments, Mr. Stalin said he had been watching the performance of his department.

“This category of appointments should not be stopped at any point,” he said and added that so far, his department had given out 30,521 appointments on compassionate grounds. Of this, 202 were handicapped. Because of his interest, a few other departments have also shown a sense of purpose when it came to compassionate ground appointments.

“So far after the DMK government came to power more than 2.9 lakh appointments have been made,” he said and added that the government was keen on filling all vacancies of such nature at the earliest.