Political Diary
New Delhi, 24 January 2022
Centre-States
Tussle
WHO
CONTROLS BABUDOM?
By
Poonam I Kaushish
A Government of India car drives into Delhi’s
Lodi garden at 6.30am, ‘saab’
instructs his driver to stay ‘right here’. So what if the slot is meant for
self-driven cars. Besides, why can’t saab
who has come to exercise, disembark on the road and walk a few steps, specially
as he lives less than a km in a Lutyens bungalow? Bluntly, saab is the law and cares tuppence. Welcome, the DNA of India’s babudom!
However last week’s Central Government proposed
amendments to IAS Rules 1954 enabling it to post IAS officers on Central
deputation in “public interest” without
consulting State Governments where officers are serving and in case the State refuses the officer would be deemed
relieved “within a specified time” fixed by the Centre, has shaken
bureaucratic smugness and has States up in arms. Already, 10 States West Bengal, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Odisha, Kerala, Tamil
Nadu, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh and NDA-ruled Madhya Pradesh and Bihar oppose it.
Accusing the Government of striking State
autonomy, federal polity and damaging the spirit of cooperative federalism which
exists between Union and States leading to the Centre concentrating powers. This over-centralisation of powers would also induce fear
and hesitancy among officials in implementing State Government policies of Parties
opposed to the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
Discounting this, the Centre cites
reduction in officers on Central Deputation from 309 in 2011to 223 presently.
It avers officers would be posted only after States consultation. Moreover, they
cannot always be posted in States which is inefficient for the Service and by working
with both officers' would broaden their perspectives, personal development and
advance the mission of the all-India services.
Undeniably, the bureaucracy is a powerful
lobby. An obscurantist force often rivaling politicians with its fair share of
crooks, criminals and cheats. A majority of who work on the dictum, show me the
face I will show you the rule. Which translates into grease my palms else I
will read you the riot act and how!
Add to this, States are notorious for having a
“committed bureaucracy” or being aligned to Parties, resulting in a spate of
transfers and hounding out following a political change. Confessed a former Cabinet Secretary, “the
problem is endemic in States like UP, Bihar and Tamil Nadu, where Chief
Ministers have failed to draw a distinction between “political direction and
political interference.”
Chimed in another, “Bureaucrats were to be
checks in the system. The checks have turned into cheques while the balance is
out of the window! The civil service has become an elite self perpetuating club
which protects its perks, turf and corners all top jobs. Adeptly they have
created jobs like regulators and committees, cornered by them alongside misusing their office to benefit a Party
or cultivate certain constituencies while in office.”
Hong Kong’s Political & Economic Risk
Consultancy ranked our IAS as Asia’s worst, 9.21 rating out of 10, worse than
Vietnam (8.54), Indonesia (8.37), Philippines (7.57) and China (7.11) a few
years ago. Adding officials accept under-the-table payments, are rarely held
accountable and are the cause of mistrust towards Government.
Moreover some bureaucrats are seeking
voluntary retirement and jumping into politics. The Government boasts of four bureaucrat-turned-Ministers:
Foreign Minister Jaishankar, Railway Minister Avinash Vaishnav, Housing and Power Ministers Hardeep Puri and R.K.
Singh. And, K.J. Alphons, Pavan Verma Aparajita
Sarangi etc. Big deal if it’s unethical.
Lamented a senior
Election Commission officer, “in States senior officers prepare grounds for
their political career while in office. In 2012, the Commission recommended Government
make a two-year cooling off period mandatory before babus could join politics to prevent conflict of interest. But the
Government rejected it as it could violate their right to equality. Sic.
Ironically, even as the Government presents
itself as strong and stable there is no stability vis-à-vis top bureaucracy whereby secretaries are shunted from one Ministry
to another, often within months. There is abrupt end to tenures even as
favoured retiring officials are given extensions.
Alas, nobody is thinking long-term.
Shockingly, 17 Ministries have each had minimum 6-7 secretaries during the past
7 years. Not all, necessitated by superannuation. Rural Development 8 secretaries,
ditto health and education. Some were shifted before completing their two year tenure.
Who will be held responsible?
But there is a silver lining. To push its
reform agenda the Government introduced lateral entry of private sector people who
want to work for public good as in US. Simultaneously it must freeze senior
positions numbers and desist from creating redundant posts to accommodate
favourites.
Additionally, it
has to break the neta-babu nexus
which helps officers not only in promotions speedily without regard to
seniority or merit but also joining the politician in looting the country. Whereby,
a majority of bureaucrats are happy to go along with their political mai-baaps. Rooted in the firm belief, like
their masters they are a law unto themselves. Over the years, they have become
used to dispensing patronage arrogantly earning big pay packets for
non-productive work.
Thus, every
political change of guard leads to ad nauseum transfers resulting in most
officials taking no initiative. In fact, the political identification of
officials is becoming so marked that even the bureaucracy is able to predict
who will occupy which top post, if ‘X’, ‘Y’ or ‘Z’ Party or individual comes to
power!
The writing is
on the wall. It is time politicians and babudom
shrugs off inertia and restores its professionalism based on absolute, not
obsolete principles. They must give serious thought to determining what action
needs to be taken collectively to remove administrative deficiencies, expose
political malfunctioning and restore the system One way is to internalize the
zero tolerance principle and the “sunset principle” as in US. Under this
method, justification for any Governmental activity is all time under scrutiny
so that no acts of misdemeanour take place.
Questionably, will babus have courage to correct themselves?
Unlikely, as corruption has become a low risk, high-profit area. The bureaucrat
is the third angle of the triangular neta-babu-business
axis which has perpetuated a vulturistic culture of the winner takes all.
Can
competence and integrity, and not allegiance become the criteria for selection?
A million dollar question that beckons an answer? Only those that matter can
perhaps answer it. However, before it is answered, someone will have to muster
the courage to ask this question.
Undoubtedly, if
our polity and bureaucrats don’t change their values, a time will come when
they will become increasingly irrelevant. Look how the country’s is rapidly
progressing despite the bureaucracy. It may exist by the sheer force of
Newton's First Law of inertia but it will not be playing a role which would
make it a meaningful part of the governance. Will our bureaucrats rise to the
occasion
or will they allow the steel frame
to rot and rust as they revel in mediocrity at their political masters behest?
---- INFA
(Copyright, India
News & Feature Alliance)
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