Chennai, Mar 18 (IANS): Tamil Nadu government has decided to set up a committee to recommend reform measures in its human resource hiring and training modes, said Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Friday.
Presenting the state budget for 2022-23 in the Assembly, Rajan said: "The Government will constitute a Human Resources Reforms Committee, which will be tasked with proposing a comprehensive roadmap for reforms in human resource management within a six-month period."
He said the state is in a difficult situation where the expenditure on salaries and pensions is large even while the vacancy rate is high.
"The current model for recruitment and training needs urgent reform. The Pandemic has further exacerbated the situation. This year we started the process by amending some rules for both recruitment and training," he said.
According to him, the government will introduce a new asset management system and integrated with the Integrated Financial and Human Resources Management System (IFHRMS) next fiscal to account for all movable and immovable assets of the Government and to monitor their utilisation.
A high-level committee, headed by a retired officer from the Indian Audit and Accounts Service, has been set up to review the audit departments and make necessary recommendations for reforms. This committee will submit its report to the Government in four months, Rajan said.
The other reform measure is making electronic procurement mandatory for the government and its undertakings from 1.4.2022 onwards.
"The Government will bring necessary amendments to the Tamil Nadu Transparency in Tenders Rules for this purpose," Rajan said.
He also said the government has strengthened the Department of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) infrastructure - officer, vehicles and personnel- and also by employing experts.
"In the coming year, we will continue to strengthen of the DVAC to hitherto unseen levels," he said.
With DVAC raids on several former Ministers of the AIADMK party, Rajan quipped that party members would have staged a walk out on hearing this had they been in the House.
The AIADMK members had earlier walked out of the House.