Bhopal, March 26 (IANS) Newly appointed Sidhi District Collector Vikas Mishra began reviewing the progress of various departments through a series of meetings with officials immediately after assuming charge, an official said.

He directed officials to pay special attention to sensitivity and promptness while addressing grievances of the general public. He stated that the primary objective of the administration should be to ensure that the benefits of government schemes reach the last person in the line.

As part of the exercise, Mishra on Thursday chaired a meeting with officials from the Education Department and reviewed progress on the government’s vision to enhance the quality of education in the district.

The Collector directed that innovative practices be encouraged in all schools to stimulate student interest and make the learning process more effective.

He instructed officials to ensure that school laboratories are fully functional for practical exercises. He also emphasised the need to organise and streamline libraries in every school.

“Libraries should not remain mere formalities but must evolve into powerful instruments for enriching students’ knowledge; to this end, their regular utilisation must be ensured,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

During the meeting, Mishra also issued specific directives regarding preparation for competitive examinations. He instructed that students be provided with necessary resources and guidance to prepare for examinations such as NEET and JEE, enabling those from rural areas to compete effectively.

“Whenever improvements are required, specific strategies must be formulated and implemented to ensure a marked improvement in the district’s overall examination results. All departments are expected to perform better,” he said.

Mishra, a 2013-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, has been appointed Collector after Chief Minister Mohan Yadav transferred the previous Collector Swarochit Somvanshi during a visit to Sidhi district on March 22.

Yadav, who interacted with citizens in Sidhi and reviewed administrative arrangements and implementation of schemes, also ordered the immediate suspension of Sidhi District Cooperative Bank General Manager P.S. Dhanwal.

The Chief Minister had expressed displeasure over the slow progress in the construction of the collectorate building in Sidhi and asked officials to expedite the work and complete it within the stipulated timeframe while maintaining quality.

Notably, after assuming office on Wednesday, Mishra first inspected the under-construction collectorate building and chaired a meeting with officials at his office.

--IANS

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