Kozhikode: The Kozhikode district administration is in a bid to turn around the work culture and improve service delivery at village offices in the district. The administration has turned seven village office hi-tech in a project taken up in association with the state government's Smart Village Offices project.
In a bid to make the village offices in the district people-friendly, the Kozhikode district administration has renovated seven of its village offices. They also changed the furniture and installed more computers.
Collector UV Jose said cosmetic changes would not suffice in making the offices people-friendly. There should be an inherent change in the officials' attitude towards the public.
"For the public, village offices are the centres of government service delivery. The campaign is to make the offices people-friendly. In the first phase, on an experimental basis, 10 village offices each from every taluk has been selected to be made people-friendly. Seven offices including Koodathai, Kizhakkoth, Azhiyur, Maruthonkara, and Kasaba have been renovated and the feedback we receive from these offices is very positive,” he says.
The village offices are mostly plagued by issues like staff shortage and lack of basic amenities. The new campaign intends to change the public's perception of the offices, often notorious for official apathy.
Apart from the renovation works, the district administration is also making short-films intended to educate the public on the services offered at village and other government office. The theme is 'Ente Village Office, Ente Abhimanam' and it will involve members of the public. The short films have been directed by Ratheesh Kalyan, from Kakkoor in Kozhikode district.
