KERALA Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called upon officials posted at the state secretariat to work sincerely in coordination with each other and focus on the needs of the people to ensure that the election mandate is enforced properly by the government. Addressing secretariat officials at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on June 8, Vijayan said while the change in government is a democratic process and linked to political upheavals, governance is a continuing process regardless of who is at the helm. The secretariat employees need to take the initiative to ensure that the mandate given by the public is enforced properly by the government. “The new government has clear ideas on how to make governance faster, more efficient and progressive. What is needed is the cooperation of the officials to make it happen,” he said. All officials need to work in harmony and cooperate with each other. He said that much progress is in store for the state if there is cooperation and respect for each other in government offices. He said that some officials could become insensitive because of their constant exposure to government matters. “Such officials need to understand that each file represents a life -- lives of individuals and families. In each file you write a note, your jottings on the files can make or mar the lives of people. While looking at each file we must realise that lives depend on what we write on it. So, the notes and queries should not be taken casually as they have significant importance in someone’s life,” the chief minister said. He said the colonial system of file noting, which was primarily meant to deny services to people, is still continuing. The negative file noting system has to be replaced by positive one and that the basic approach should be to help people, he said. The chief minister asked the secretariat staff to stay put in office during duty hours, avoid misuse of mobile phones while in office and redress the grievances of the public on priority. The punching system was introduced to ensure punctuality. “What is the point in entering office after punching in the morning and moving out soon after?” he said, adding that the state secretariat has a bad reputation on this front. It is also felt that not many officials remain in their seats after coming to office in the morning. This perception has to change. Vijayan called upon the staff members to discharge their responsibilities from their seats during office hours. “In many work places, mobile phones are not allowed during working hours. But there is no such bar in the secretariat. Hence, self-restraint is required,” he said. The chief minister, while acknowledging that there were many talented people in the staff, said they should not use office time to nurture cultural and literary pursuits. There is a common perception about secretariat staff; “they arrive in the morning, go out for tea, then for lunch. Leave early in the evening to be on time to catch train.” He assured that there would be proper guidelines for the transfer of staff and the government does not intend to create problems for any employee.