Opinion Can babus really help PM?

The Cabinet Ministers were clearly hinting to PM that pliable officers should be appointed to these posts so that the government is not embarrassed for its policy decisions. While the PM did not respond to these suggestions at that meeting,the point that Indira Gandhi made in 1969 about “committed” judiciary and bureaucracy was underscored by his colleagues. It is evident that Singh’s colleagues were talking about pliant bureaucrats who are at least overtly wedded to the ideology of the party in power and were definitely not interested in bold and fearless advice.

The politicisation of the Indian bureaucracy has been discussed ad nauseam with little or hardly any results on ground in terms of either responsibility or accountability. In a country where pliant bureaucrats are given post-retirement positions by adjusting them in information commissions,regulators,tribunals,inquiries or gubernatorial positions,there is little hope from the babus to either give fearless advice or expect the politicians to adhere to it. The government-bureaucracy relationship works on ‘you show me the person and I will show you the rule’ principle. And why bureaucrats should be expected to commit hara-kiri when they can roam around in a white car with red beacon and a house in Lutyen’s Delhi for the rest of their lives by just kow-towing to their political masters.

Consider this:

·         The present Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekhran will be completing his extended four year term this June and it is widely expected that rules will be amended yet again to give him another year. Or former private secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and now Executive Director (World Bank) Pulok Chatterjee would be his new successor.

·         The previous Cabinet Secretary BK Chaturvedi was adjusted in the Planning Commission after extended three year tenure.

·          Former National Security Advisor MK Narayanan was adjusted as West Bengal Governor and his protégé in Intelligence Bureau ESL Narasimhan made the governor of Chattisgarh state the next day after he retired.

·         Present Foreign Secretary Nirumpama Rao now has an extended tenure till July this year after the government decided on a two year fixed tenure. It is widely expected that she will become India’s ambassador to US after she demits her office in South Block.

·           Present Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar completes his two year tenure in July this year. He is now widely tipped to be the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner with the government raising the age for prospective candidates to 62 years.

‘Honest and fearless’ bureaucrat is an oxymoron,a lofty ideal that cannot be achieved despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earnest efforts. In fact,time has come to make some radical changes in the babudom as the so-called steel framework is corroded beyond repair with mandarins openly pandering to the politicians to ensure their next lucrative postings. Despite offering 30 per cent additional salaries to civil servants posted in the North-East,there are very few IAS or IFS officers interested in working in those under-developed and militancy prone areas.

So rather than raising the bar to the level of eradicating corruption (or what bureaucrats call speed money that is responsible for India’s double digit growth),the government should look towards technology as an interface between bureaucrats and the public. The e-railway ticketing or online booking of traffic offenders in Bengaluru are classic examples on how corruption can be reduced. The government should also be looking at reducing the number of procedural steps for loan disbursal,compensation,relief or land registration. The British introduced these multiple steps as they did not trust the Indians,but what stops the babu today from trusting his own team. The answer is simple: red tape means money.

It is about time that the government had a relook at the appointment of civil servants,who become far removed from reality once they pass the UPSC exam. Perhaps,the All India Service Officers should be asked to give another examination or undertake comprehensive review after completing 20 years in service. All appointments to secretary level in the Government of India should be on contract with a specified tenure from the very beginning and not dependent on the party in power. The bureaucrat today may think that it is the politician with whom the Indian public is unhappy,but neta undergoes a test every five years with chances of many landing up in jails. It is the pliant babu who is unaccountable and without responsibility.