From June 1, ministers to meet people for an hour

New Delhi: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his ministers and officers would open their doors to the public for an hour on weekdays starting June 1. Aam Aadmi Party chief Kejriwal has issued a note to chief secretary M.M. Kutty directing him to make a formal arrangement for the meetings that would address people’s grievances.

“From 1 June, all Del govt officers, Ministers, CM n all AAP MLAs will meet people betn 10 to 11 am without appointment,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted. The move followed complaints to AAP ministers, including the CM, that officers were not accessible to the people, deputy chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.

The public meets are a part of an outreach programme that seeks to bridge the gap between the people and AAP, which faced a humiliating defeat in the Delhi civic polls held last month. “During our visits (to parts of the city) in the past few days, people complained of a disconnect between the government and the masses,” Mr Sisodia said.

It was in view of this that the CM had ordered an hour- long meeting everyday, he said. “Ministers and others will hold the meetings without prior appointment from 10 am to 11 am in their respective offices from Monday to Friday,” Mr Sisodia said.

He said it had been noticed that when officers were accessible, the number of public grievances tended to drop. The deputy chief minister said the decision would not be applicable to the government’s field staff such as doctors and teachers.