In a high-level Secretariat meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, it was decided that biometric attendance will be mandatory for all officers and employees in every government department of Uttarakhand starting May 1, 2025. Departments lacking biometric devices or having insufficient setups have been instructed to complete all necessary arrangements on priority. Faulty machines must be repaired before the deadline.
The Chief Secretary directed all departments to prepare lists of public interest and priority schemes to ensure timely budget allocation and approval. These lists are to be submitted to the Planning Department and a copy to the Chief Secretary’s office.
For effective tracking, projects costing over ₹1 crore will now be reviewed through the PM Gati Shakti portal. Departments must prepare for EFC (Expenditure Finance Committee) reviews on this platform. Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) will also be prepared in e-DPR format, drawing from models used in other states with NIC’s support.
Departmental secretaries and officials have been instructed to inspect their sections at least once a year. Additional, Joint, Deputy, and Under Secretaries are also to conduct similar inspections as per a defined roster.
Further, all departments have been asked to prepare Annual Work Plans to streamline operations and avoid delays. Departments must also upload their asset inventory on the designated Government Assets Inventory portal. Many departments have already done this, and others are expected to comply promptly.
The Chief Secretary emphasized the mandatory declaration of immovable assets by all All India Services officers during annual performance reviews. Non-compliance will be reviewed during promotions.
A proposal was also made to develop a dedicated State Museum in Dehradun. Utilization of the Himalayan Cultural Centre at Kolagarh will be expanded, and registered cultural troupes under the Culture Department will be graded (A, B, C) through fair competition for future utilization.
The meeting was attended by top officials including Special Principal Secretary Amit Kumar Sinha, Secretaries Shailesh Bagauli, Radhika Jha, Ravinath Raman, Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Dr. Ranjit Kumar Sinha, Dr. Neeraj Kharwal, Vinod Kumar Suman, Yugal Kishore Pant, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, and Dheeraj Singh Garbyal.
