Backgrounder to Deputy Minister

This pilot project was launched on January 7, 2007. Taking into consideration the relentless criticism in classical newspapers, magazines and TV channels, almost the alarming increase in the drug demand aim among both male and female high school students, a commission was appointed by the Social Justice and authorisation Ministry to initiate the modalities of sentience Campaign with the active co-operation of School Managements.The Ministry, instead of taking direct indebtedness for performance of the project, created a special fund with an sign contribution $ 50,000 for detail grants and selected cardinal NGOs for implementation of the project. The offspring presented before the NGOs was simple and direct. Can the knowingness Campaigns deliver tangible results in the bea of drug demand lessening? The problem and the scenario This is the first of its kind familiarization program conducted for the benefit of the representatives of the NGOs.The objective is to manoeuver the traianers from the point of view of this Aw beness Campaign. The NGOs selected start the experience and expertise of working(a) among the drug addicts, for over a decade. fivesome representatives from each NGO go to the session, angiotensin-converting enzyme of them was the Chief Coordinator, and the rest were field level personnel. The guideline /handouts in particular drafted by the Implementation committee established by the Ministry for the training path were given to them. There are twenty four High schools in the District A selected for the program.Each NGO was allotted 12 Schools. The higher up chess opening was in response to the steerages of the Cabinet to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. This time-bound program is say to be completed within a period of three months. The alternate Minister of the Department was asked to personally monitor the program and present the bill within the time stipulated. The strong reason for associating NGOs is By experience it is discovered that drug demand reduction is mainly a socio-spiritual initiative.The typical face approach bogged down to procedures, did non deliver the results in the past. a) Making the replacement Minister take direct responsibility of this important social pop According to the inputs before the Cabinet, the situation relating to the drug scenario in the schools has been alarming. Very inconvenient questions were raised in the Parliament about Governments lethargy in not properly addressing the issue. The need for a sense of destination and direction to the combustible school-going generation in this age group was felt by the members of the Parliament.On a careful study of the scenario, the following reasons were cited by a Committee specially constituted by the Ministry to send the report to the Cabinet. What are the reasons for such moral collapse of the youngsters at the formative stage of their life? Five major issues were cited a) Economic prosperity . The children get more than than required pocket money. The reasons and sources for children having more cash than is necessary for their normal needs however could not be ascertained. The students were not willing to share this information with the counseling team.b) The friendship-net of the drug-addicts is fast expanding. The teachers are afraid to take strong action against the students lest they will be charged under the various provisions of the Child Abuse Act. c) The same was the issue with the parents. In a few causal agents the children had initiated well-grounded action against the parents under the above Act. d) With the divorce rate touching 55%, every second family was a broken family. Denied of love in the house and in the absence of a happy social interaction with the immediate family members, children looked out for other sources of enjoyment.e) The peer-pressure of the superior students was too much to resist. In some cases, the senior students did not waffl e to take recourse to coercive methods to drag the unwilling friends to the drug joints. substitute Ministers accountability delegate ministers are accountable to their Ministers, and to the indigenous Minister through the Clerk of the Privy Council. (4) police lieutenant ministers are in any case accountable to the Public Service Commission and the exchequer Board for political science directly delegated or assigned to them relating to financial and human resource management.(5) wiz of the alternate Ministers fundamental responsibilities is to support the Ministers accountability to Parliament. surrogate Ministers and other departmental officials appear before parliamentary committees on behalf of their minister by answering questions and providing information, but they explain or else than defend or debate policies. Public servants do not constitute a public voice, or identity, distinct from their minister they are anonymous. (The responsibility. ) The Deputy Minister h as the dual responsibility in implementing the program.Even though the initial grant of $50,000 was made available by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (the Deputy Ministers own Ministry), further grants totaling to $ 5,000,000, for the broad implementation of the project all over the State were due shortly from the finance Ministry, to be disbursed in two monthly installments. As noted earlier, Deputy Ministers are assigned specific powers directly or through the Treasury Board under certain provisions of key acts of public administration without reference to their Minister.Specifically, the Financial Administration Act confers directly on Deputy Ministers responsibility for the prudent management of resources allocated to their department, in conformance with certain Treasury Board policies, regulations, standards, and periodic audits. Responsibility relating to personnel management, including appointment, employer-employee relations, and the governance of the depar tment, are assigned to deputy ministers directly by a come in of acts (Review of)Therefore, the Deputy Ministers have multiple accountabilities. To their Minister and the various Statutory Commissions constituted by the Government for controlling. But the Minister of the Department is the immediate and legal boss and he is answerable to the Minister, as for the general Management of the Department. The Deputy Minister needs to control and ensure that appropriate systems, management processes and instruments are maintained properly so that the performance monitoring goes on smoothly.The function of the Internal audit system for inspection and evaluation is very important and the surprise element of deployment of the cater designated for the purpose helps for a neat and strip down administration. Ir steadyities and malpractices in the disbursement of financial allocations/grants need to be reported to the Deputy Minister well in time, for timely action. In the present case. The c ognizance Campaign conducted by the two NGOs had salutary effect on the students. Stunning facts came to the light that about 45-50% of the girl students, smoked, took alcohol and drugs. The percentage among the boys was about 70%.Mostly it was peer pressure, and as found during the Campaign, secret drug joints functioned in the vicinity of the educational institutions. Some peddlers visited the students at conspicuous places nearby on fixed days of the week. But the contents of the Awareness Campaign, lectures on the destructive effects of drugs, practical demonstration through slides/video/audio and so on had desired effects on majority of the students. Many openly declared that they were quite ignorant about the drastically damaging effects on health, by intoxication. Some students volunteered to attend counseling classes at the offices of the NGOs on regular basis.Such awareness campaigns have created highly positive effects on the impressionist minds of the youth. The above observations will place the Deputy Minister in a strong position to recommend to the Finance Minister for release of the think grant of $ 5,000,000 for conduction of such Awareness Campaigns as a division of policy, all over the State. For one round of Awareness Campaign consisting of two lectures on two altenative dates, expenses devolved are $ 1000, per day. An ad-hoc department is created in the Ministry by transferring sufficient senior personnel on deputation basis and junior staff by fresh appointment.A skeleton Section has been formed to look later on the immediate administrative needs. The priority of this Ministry is to build up diligent cadres who have a high sense of responsibility in relation to ethical morality. To involve in Awareness Campaigns related to drug demand reduction, one needs to develop missionary zeal. One needs to have a vision, not the legal government-employee relationship only. By saving one singular from deep drug addiction, an entire generation is rehabilitated. Conclusion Can the Awareness Campaigns deliver tangible results in the area of drug demand reduction?The answer is in the positive. In view of the social conditions obtaining today, when the children are not assured the love they desire and deserve from the parents, due to reasons mentioned above, the School seems to be the place where they can get life-building exercises and lessons. Some of the reformed students have volunteered to actively participate and don the role of reformers, for the benefit of children in other schools. This is a highly positive development. It is now proved beyond doubt that holistic approach to cure drug addicts gives permanent results and the chances of relapse are minimal.So, the intend policy of the Government to associate NGOs that have the socio-spiritual approach, seems to be sound and borrowing of this system is throughy recommended. References Cited Article The Accountability of Deputy Ministers before Parliament (PRB-05-48E) . www. parl. gc. ca/information/library/PRBpubs/prb0548-e. htm 29k Article Review of the Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Ministers This is the general accountability of deputy ministers to the Treasury Board www. tbs-sct. gc. ca/report/rev-exa/ar-er04_e. asp 21k