VIJAYAWADA, June 30: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to accelerate reforms aimed at making government services more accessible, transparent and citizen centric. Stressing the need for efficient governance, he asked departments to simplify procedures and strengthen public service delivery so that people can access essential services with greater ease.
The Chief Minister issued the directions while reviewing the performance of key government departments at the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) Centre in the State Secretariat on Monday. During the meeting, senior officials presented updates on ongoing governance reforms, digital initiatives and citizen welfare programmes.
Naidu said the government should continuously modernise its administrative processes to reduce unnecessary delays and improve the quality of services delivered to the public. He underlined that technology must be effectively utilised to ensure that citizens receive timely assistance without facing cumbersome procedures.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that the government has already begun simplifying procedures across 11 categories of public services as part of a larger administrative reform programme. The initiative is aimed at reducing paperwork, shortening processing time and making various government schemes easier to access.
Reviewing the state’s grievance redressal mechanism, Naidu instructed officials to build a more responsive and accessible complaint management system. He said citizens should be able to register grievances through multiple digital platforms without encountering technical or procedural hurdles.
The Chief Minister specifically recommended expanding the use of the Mana Mitra WhatsApp platform for public complaints. He instructed officials to ensure that not only text messages but also voice messages submitted through the application are accepted and processed promptly. According to him, such measures would make the system more inclusive, especially for people who may find it difficult to type detailed complaints.
During the review, officials highlighted that nearly 3,000 locations across Andhra Pradesh continue to face mobile network connectivity problems. Poor connectivity in these areas has affected communication as well as the delivery of digital government services.
Expressing concern over the issue, Naidu directed officials to eliminate connectivity gaps within the next three months. He said reliable mobile communication has become essential for governance, education, healthcare and emergency services, particularly in remote and rural areas.
The meeting also included a detailed presentation on the “Navachethana” Early Childhood Development Screening Programme being implemented by the Department of Women and Child Welfare. Officials explained that the initiative is designed to assess children’s physical growth, cognitive development and overall health during the early years of life.
According to the department, nearly 33,949 children have already undergone developmental screening across the state. Besides evaluating children attending Anganwadi centres, dedicated teams are conducting household visits to identify children who may require additional medical or developmental support.
Officials further informed the Chief Minister that the government is preparing to launch a pilot project aimed at strengthening post-screening interventions. The initiative will focus on ensuring that children identified with developmental concerns receive timely follow-up care, counselling and specialised support wherever necessary.
Naidu appreciated the proactive approach adopted by the department and stressed the importance of early intervention in improving long-term health and educational outcomes for children.
The Chief Minister also reviewed administrative accountability measures introduced across various departments. Officials informed him that a circular has been issued making regular field visits mandatory for senior officers to improve direct monitoring of government programmes.
Under the new guidelines, departmental secretaries will spend at least three days every month in the field, heads of departments will undertake six days of field inspections, while district collectors will remain on field visits for eight days each month. The objective is to strengthen grassroots monitoring and ensure that government schemes are implemented effectively.
Naidu directed senior officials to use these field visits to identify critical local issues, interact directly with citizens and resolve administrative bottlenecks without delay. He said governance should remain focused on outcomes and that officers must remain connected with ground realities instead of relying solely on office based reviews.
The Chief Minister reiterated that responsive administration, digital innovation and regular field engagement are essential pillars of good governance. He urged officials to maintain high standards of accountability while ensuring that government services become faster, more transparent and easier for every citizen to access.
With renewed emphasis on digital governance, public grievance redressal and field-level monitoring, the Andhra Pradesh government aims to build a more efficient and citizen friendly administrative system capable of meeting the evolving needs of the people.