TNAG-0199-FCO40-235-City-district-officer-scheme-1969 — Page 150

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explanation of government policies and activities and for

the collection of information about the needs and aspirations

of ordinary people. He is expected to supply a new element

of informal co-ordination for the activities of departments

at a District level and to assess local social needs and

political under-currents.

Interdepartmental Meetings and Public Consultation

3.

City Districts are identical with Police Divisions

because the Police Divisional Superintendent has been the most

senior public servant with such small geographical limits to

his functions. In other departments field officers of this

rank tend to have larger areas with narrower interests while

many officers of similar rank work in headquarters organizations.

Interdepartmental liaison takes the form of District meetings, where the C.D.Os chair regular meetings of officials and local leaders, and there is also ad hoc consultation on special subjects. As garbled versions of District meetings occasionally

found their way into the press the press is now often invited to attend, with gratifying results. The composition of District meetings is not uniform and is changing, so that they are not ready for formal constitution as advisory committees. This

informality enables varied attendance by officials and unofficials

to suit the subject and avoids many issues of status that would

arise from formal appointments, constitutions and terms of reference. Other meetings called study groups meet to discuss a wide range of local matters and may lead to a more active interest in affairs by responsible citizens who for various reasons are not attracted by Kaifong Associations and the like.

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