Nitish cracks whip on babus

Although no formal decision was taken on this,the latest circular from the General Administration Department GAD has delivered a stern message to the babus. It has asked secretaries and principal secretaries to include a covering letter for each file showing which official section officer,joint secretary,principal secretary kept it for how much time and why.

It is necessary to conform to set deadlines for disposal of works before secretariat, reads the GAD circular letter no-3/ M-74/ 2011/1062 dated April 13. It is now desirable that each file has a covering letter showing the date it was presented before an official at different stage of disposal.

The circular,signed by GAD joint secretary Saryug Prasad,says no secretary/principal secretary or department head will accept any file without the covering letter from April 25. Decisions/remarks on files also have to be mentioned in covering letters.

8220;The recent order is to bring in urgency and some systemic reforms,8221; says Prakash,adding that the deadline rules may not apply to certain files needing legal opinion.

The CM also wanted ministers to dispose of files within 10 days. But while bureaucrats will be bound by government circulars,no such instructions have been issued for ministers.