Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, wants to focus on reforms in governance. It says senior bureaucrats should post details of their property and tax returns on the Internet, checking frequent transfers of babus in the state and adopting social audit of governance.
It also suggests that the archaic Official Secrets Act should be ‘‘repealed and replaced with a less restrictive law’’. In fact, taking a cue from the NAC, Singh has already written to state chief ministers asking them not to politicise transfers of babus.
The NAC’s suggestions have been made in a paper prepared by former bureaucrat N.C. Saxena on improving governance through administrative reforms. The paper, to be discussed in October, also suggests accountability through panchayats by empowering them to collect taxes. In his paper, Saxena states: ‘‘Property and tax returns of all senior officers and politicians should be available for public scrutiny.”
He feels that appointments and transfers are two areas where the evolution of firm criteria can be ‘‘easily circumvented in the name of administrative efficacy’’.
‘‘In UP, the average tenure of an IAS officer in the last five years is said to be as low as six months,’’ the paper states. He suggests that the power to transfer all Class II officers should be with the head of the department and not with the government. ‘‘At least for higher ranks of the civil services, example Chief Secretary and DGP, postings may be made contractual for a period of at least two years, and officers be monetarily compensated if removed before the period of the contract without their consent or explanation.’’
‘‘The panchayats are excessively dependent on the state and Central governments for funds…the panchayats should have the right to levy and collect taxes on their own to reduce their dependence on state and Central governments,’’ the paper states.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Saxena said: ‘‘We cannot wait for consensus on these reforms that are necessary because the poor of this country only depend on the government for welfare …If an officials knows that they are posted in a position for a fixed period, then they would deliver. If panchayats collect taxes, they automatically become accountable to the people… I believe in social audit.”
