Government unveils mega plan for Good Governance Day

Although the HRD ministry has rolled back its circular on cancellation of holiday on December 25, it is still not going to be Christmas holiday as usual this year. 

To observe Good Governance Day, the Prime Minister’s Office is likely to come up with a 15-point list for ministries to implement in the days to come.

Almost every ministry is coming out with a plan to celebrate the day which also coincides with the birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. PM has asked all BJP MPs to be in their constituencies on the day.
To observe the day, officers and staff of ministries are required to be present in the office, even if it is for a few hours.

To create awareness on good governance, PMO wants all ministries to organise workshops and seminars in their constituencies. The gram panchayat too will be roped in to promote good governance. Besides highlighting the achievements of Vajpayee, Narendra Modi also wants that the programmes initiated by NDA when Vajpayee was prime minister be carried forward by this government.

December 25 this year will be marked as Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana Diwas by ministry of rural development and Suhshasan Diwas by ministry of culture and tourism. 

Every ministry will be making important announcements to mark the celebration of birthday of Vajpayee.

Human resource and development ministry that took a lead in the good governance has asked both schools and colleges to observe the day. The ministry has sent out circulars to schools, colleges and universities to mark the day. Schools will be holding essay writing competition on good governance. Technical institutions including the IITs have been asked to organise a seminar on the use of technology and innovations in promoting good governance. The institutes have also been asked to hold an oratory competition. 

Urban development ministry to mark the birthday of Vajpayee will be announcing Urban Infrastructure Renewal Scheme. The new mission will be announced after the ministry did not renew urban renewal schemes running in the name of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Through the ministry of health and family welfare, the Central Government will announce Universal Health Assurance Mission, offering fixed number of drugs and diagnostics services, as well as health insurance.

The day will also be observed as ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Divas’ by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD). The ministry will commemorate 15 years of launch of the rural roads scheme by Prime Minister Vajpayee in 2000. Rural development minister Ch Birender Singh will release a compendium of good rural roads built under the scheme.

Labour ministry will observe the day by focusing on important schemes for organized and unorganized sector workers. Schemes for employment generation, transparency in administration, and social security benefits will be announced on the day by Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya.

December 25 will also be observed as a ‘Suhshasan Divas’ by ministry of culture. The ministry will focus not just on promoting tourism, but also on cleanliness, hospitality and safety.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports through its 2,70,000 youth clubs around the country under Nehru Yuva Kendra will celebrate Christmas Day as 'Good Governance Day' and hold half-marathons, eye camps and blood donation camps.

What PMO wants 

1. Highlight works of Vajpayee

2. MPs and ministers to organise district-level events on good governance in their constituencies

3. Community centres to be built and named after Vajpayee

4. Focus on promoting physical, social and economic infrastructure

5. Skill development to be taken up on a large scale

6. E-governance camps to be organised and digital literacy to be promoted

7. Swacch Bharat mission to be achieved by taking up activities on sustainable basis.