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Emphasising the necessity for various ministries to work collectively, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has said that the government is adopting a holistic approach instead of working in silos to derive the desired outcomes.
"A decision taken by the Ministry of External Affairs will have a bearing on Ministry of Education or Commerce; a decision by the Ministry of Education will have a bearing on the rural development Ministry or a policy change by the Ministry of Rural Development will have an impact on Ministry of Commerce. Every decision is interlinked," said Muraleedharan in his address at the eighth edition of Good Governance Day celebrations here on Tuesday. "In this scenario, it is essential to work collectively to derive the desired outcomes," said Muraleedharan, stressing that this is the approach that the Narendra Modi government implements. "The good governance model works well when this principle is weaved into it," he added. Underlining that in the past seven years, the government has been consistently working towards the goal of bringing government closer to citizens, Muraleedharan said that the government ensures that citizens become active participants in the governance process and make the engagement meaningful. "The mantra here is Minimum Government - Maximum Governance," he added. Referring to the Ministry of External Affairs' Passport Seva Programme, he said that the programme is one such initiative that has brought quantitative and qualitative changes in providing passport services to the citizens. "Several steps have been initiated towards liberalisation of passport services and also in improving the passport delivery system in the country," he said, adding "Now, passport rules have been simplified. We endeavour and work towards taking passport services closer to the doorsteps of the citizens." Laying emphasis upon the use of technology, he said that with the active use of technology, "we are bridging the divide between the government and the citizens". "Technology is an empowering tool for the citizens and an accountability medium for the government. We fully recognize the huge potential of this tool. I am happy to mention that we have successfully integrated the passport application process with the Digilocker platform. This enables applicants to submit various documents required for passport services through DigiLocker in a paperless mode," said the Minister. Shedding light on the main components of the good governance system, Muraleedharan said that the effective grievance redressal mechanism plays a key role in good governance. "In our Ministry, we have also put in place a robust Grievance Redressal Mechanism, effectively using social media to connect with our citizens and further improving the delivery of our services. All Passport Offices now receive public grievances directly through the CPGRAMS, through PSP Portal and social media platforms, said the Minister emphasising, "Our Missions and Posts are always available 24/7 for diaspora abroad to address their requirements. Every Mission or Post has an emergency contact number, prominently displayed on their websites, to reach out to them," he added. Stating that the grievances are not just 'disposed of', he said that it is redressed to the 'satisfaction' of the customers. "Only then the grievance redressal mechanism is stronger." (ANI)
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