Chennai, May 13:
The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has issued a strong directive to its officials to eliminate delays and ensure time-bound delivery of public services, echoing Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s emphasis on clean and transparent governance.
In a circular released on Tuesday, CMDA Principal Secretary and Member Secretary G Prakash instructed officials to expedite the processing of key public applications, including planning permissions, completion certificates, layout approvals and land reclassification proposals, without undue delay.
The order, which takes immediate effect, draws from the Chief Minister’s swearing-in speech on May 10, where he underscored the need for efficiency, transparency and quality in public service delivery. Reflecting that vision, the circular categorically stated that there should be “no red tape at any level” within the department.
Officials have been warned that any instance of negligence, favouritism, malpractice or misuse of official position will attract strict disciplinary action under existing conduct rules. The directive also mandates daily monitoring of pending files to ensure that applications are not held up beyond prescribed timelines without valid and recorded reasons.
For cases involving technical, legal or inter-departmental complexities, officers have been asked to place such files before weekly review meetings conducted every Monday, enabling quicker decisions and preventing unnecessary delays.
Reinforcing the importance of accountability, the CMDA stressed that all officers must uphold integrity, impartiality and transparency in their duties, while taking steps to maintain public trust in the administration. Section heads and unit officers have been directed to circulate the instructions among staff and ensure strict compliance across all levels.