Newly-appointed Cooperative Minister Rajender Pal Gautam inspects office

After taking charge as Registrar, Cooperative Societies (RCS) Department, Delhi Minister Rajender Pal Gautam paid a surprise visit to the RCS office on Friday to inspect ongoing work.

Various issues were raised by the officials, including 40 per cent shortage of staff. Following the discussion, Gautam called for a meeting next Wednesday to discuss the problems in detail.

"I want to understand how the Department works. I have assured them of discussing every problem and finding a way to solve them," he said.

The Minister met with all senior officials of the Department and enquired about the progress of work.

During his half-hour visit, Gautam also talked with the common people who came to meet officials. "People do not have any complaint against the department, but we need to ensure much faster work," Gautam said.

The officials expressed satisfaction after the meeting with Gautam. "We explained him the kind of work we do. He has asked us to submit all details regarding the Department next Wednesday," a senior official said, adding that the minister asked the officials to prioritise cases and finish the more important cases within a day.

The official, meanwhile, asserted that dearth of staff is the main problem of the Department.

Currently, the strength of the office is at 60, while the required strength is nearly 120. "We are more than 40 per cent short and want to approach the Minister to increase this," the official said.

He added that the problem has existed since the last two years. "We hope that this time the issue will be solved," he said.

Talking to Millennium Post, Gautam said: I will ask them to submit a detailed report on the issue and then I will discuss the matter with the Chief Minister."

Gautam also asked officials to make a presentation on the Department, which would include topics like the number of societies, their types and key issues handled.

"I am also checking whether there are any allegations of corruption against any officials. I will not allow any corrupt officer to continue," Gautam said.

Later in the day, the Minister also visited Janata Flat School to inspect the work on building of new rooms. After the visit, he ordered school officials to speed up the work.