Respect legislators,Chouhan tells babus

The Madhya Pradesh government has warned its officers and employees of action if they are not courteous towards elected representatives or fail to use honorifics while addressing them....

The Madhya Pradesh government has warned its officers and employees of action if they are not courteous towards elected representatives or fail to use honorifics while addressing them.

The order restoring the balance of power to MLAs and MPs has come in the wake of Minister of State for Home Narayan Singh Kushwahs public outburst that he was feeling humiliated because neither cops nor other government employees were listening to him. So frustrated was Kushwah,an MLA from Gwalior,by his lack of powers that he took on his immediate boss Home Minister Umashankar Gupta and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The CM responded immediately stressing at the Cabinet meeting held this week that the ministers of state had not been appointed only to enjoy red beacons on their vehicles and that they be given work.

On Thursday,detailed guidelines were issued to all departmental heads,district collectors and other employees on how to deal with elected representatives and their letters.

While sending letters to MPs and MLAs use honorifics or call them Mananiya and the language should be humble (vinamra), the guideline issued in Gwalior on Thursday said.

You have to greet them with respect,extend courtesy,talk gently and follow protocol. Give them highest priority when they come to meet you. If you are busy explain the reason politely to them, says the order.

Interestingly,the guidelines have been released so far only in Gwalior in an obvious attempt to reassure the angry minister,who even threatened to resign if he was stopped from staging a sit-in in front of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindias house.