MyVoice: Views of our readers 9th August 2020

Indian bureaucracy, a full-blown crisis

Your edit piece "Failing bureaucracy calls for PM's attention"(THI-August 8) is a thought-provoking and representing the doleful status of the bureaucrats in two siblings Telugu states. It is very ill conceivable that the Babus, the bridges between people and government are competing among them to impress their political bosses. They are willfully ignoring the oath that they have taken during the entry into service and throwing away rulebook whenever the political baton changed.

It was so right the revered High Courts of two Telugu states have become so busy to dispose of the incessant PILs due to the mumbled tongue of bureaucracy owing to the reversing past decisions by the present rulers. It is agonising to think that sixty-odd decisions of a state government decisions caught in the cross-hair of legal complexities and made its babus stand before the court of law with folded hands.

The political interference in the government has led to creating many invisible furrows in the bureaucracy. Further, the Babus are using the leaders as their shields to become more fattish in all fronts. This attitude of the seniors is alluring the new entrants towards venality. The politicos are also using them as their pawns in the power game and making the governance more turbid.

Today's governance has miserably failed to introduce hope in the common person due to its biased nature in all fronts. This edit also portrayed about the filthy political language that flutters in the temples of democracy. It seems that we are in a pressing need to provide a one-year orientation for all the people representatives on the ethics of the houses. Further, it is essential to bring an electoral reform that minimum knowledge is essential on the constitution is compulsory for any people representative post.

This edit rightly called for the need of Prime Minister's attention to regulating the failing and the falling bureaucracy due to political trespass. This edit has its merit to be circulated among the Babus to remember these virtuous words "Work for a cause not for applause, live life to express not to impress".

E Gajendra Nath Reddy, Badvel

Controlling the levers of power

The insightful article stresses the need for cardinal role to be played by bureaucracy to minimise confrontations between Executive and Judiciary. (Failing bureaucracy calls for PM's attention - THI, 8 August). Undeniably, the decisions of governments are becoming increasingly controversial where wastage of taxpayer's money and constitutional transgressions are taking place. It is worrisome that this has been happening despite the existence of bureaucracy which is talented and well trained.

It is a bitter reality that the present day political discourse is hijacked by selfish politicians in order to serve their political interests rather than people's interests. As such, politicians are prepared to go to any extent in pursuit of money and power leaving the common man in the lurch. The phenomenon of mushrooming turncoats, abusive language in legislative debates, using caste and religion for electoral gains and autonomous institutions dancing to the tunes of political power is contributing to the mockery of democracy.

It is not that our bureaucracy is inefficient, dishonest and untalented. When the ruling class tries to tame and threaten bureaucrats to make them pliable and subservient to cater to its political needs, it will be very difficult for bureaucrats to act independently and with integrity. We saw certain luminous people such as Raghuram Rajan, Urjit Patel voluntarily demitting their office for being unable to bear the political harassment. It is an open secret that talented and honest IAS officers are given unimportant portfolios and pliant IAS officers are posted in crucial portfolios.

The political leadership at the helm should strive to establish a bureaucratic system where efficiency, integrity and knowledge rather than sycophancy and spinelessness are rewarded. There is no dearth of knowledge, integrity and talent in bureaucracy. What is needed is the political will to take the country forward by encouraging the bureaucrats who are equipped with right attributes such as integrity and efficiency.

Narne Raveendra Babu, Hyderabad

Re-orienting bureaucracy is imperative

This is with reference to the article "Failing bureaucracy calls for PM's attention". This is a thought provoking and interesting article. Now a days there are any number of PILs filed in courts disputing the points on some of the policy matters of the government at centre as well as at states. This has been leading to delay in implementing the welfare schemes and raging wrath among public. Litigations pertaining to government decisions were not seen in such high proportions in the past.

The reason is owing to the alertness among the public in the wake of media which has been conducting debates with experts in the studio as and when any policy matter is announced. On the other hand,of late we have seen that the courts have been summoning top officials like CS and DGP etc. Especially in the Telugu states it is rampant. Where does the mistake lie? Whichever government is in power it is the bureaucrats who draft the guidelines based on the government instructions.

At least before the policy guidelines come into the public the bureaucrats must think about the pros and cons of the affects of the policy on the constitutional point of view and also about any ill-effects on some section of the public. If possible it is better to keep the policy guidelines on public domain and invite opinions so that controversies are minimised. When the policy is drafted by the bureaucrats of one government ruled by one party how it becomes useless to the other government ruled by another party? It is simply the ego clashes and acquiring credit to the ruling party and at the same time mudslinging on the previous government . Recently one more trend is seen whereby the services of retired bureaucrats and intellectuals are recalled. This has not been a success as they are becoming voice of political executive instead of being the think tank behind the policies of the government. This tendency has been consuming lot of court's time and stalling the developmental work.

Hence this calls for a review of the role and relationship between the administration and political executive. A serious thought is to be given to this issue and solution is to be found as early as possible.

TSN Rao, Bhimavaram

British legacy still continues at Railway Ministry

It refers to shocking news that 9-member committee of Executive Directors of Railway Board had unanimously endorsed continuing of 100-year old British legacy of Telephone Attendant cum Dak Khalasis TADKs (bungalow peons) for railway-officers despite Prime Minister Office having six years ago recommended abolishing of princely facility. Even Seventh Pay Commission left the decision to Railway Board. It is but natural that since decision-takers at Railway Ministry are themselves beneficiaries of anti-public practice, they may never decide against retention of the system. Even the appointment-process of TADKs has been controversial with Central Administrative Tribunal questioning the manner of appointment of TADKs at Railways.

The news item further exposes orders of Tamil Nadu government wherein retired Chief Secretaries and Additional Chief Secretaries are given monthly allowance of Rupees 10,000 to keep household help as amongst post-retirement benefits, system already prevailing in Karnataka.

In a country where a negligible one-time monetary-relief of just rupees 500 to poor persons during lockdown resulted in massive uncontrollable crowds outside banks, such princely facilities for privileged few during or after service is really a blot on the system. Even US President gets just half of last-drawn salary as only post-retirement benefit making several ex-Presidents doing private jobs or farming after retirement. Indian government should abolish all such princely facilities for everyone including in legislature, judiciary or bureaucracy for all types of services both in central and state governments.

Madhu Agrawal, Delhi

The fate of 60-lakh employees under EPS- 95 scheme

Consequent upon the new economic reforms brought into force by P.V. Narasimha Rao government in early nineties, some of the economically, technically and commercially unviable Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) were shut down and the workforce was discharged from service on Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS).

In respect of The Fertiliser Corporation of India Limited situated in various parts of the country, one in Ramagundam in Telangana state was closed in March 1999 and the employees were relieved of their service in 2002 and the terminal benefits were paid of 1987 wages by denying to effect two wage revisions due in 1992 and 1997.

CPSUs such as HMT, IDPL, have different dates of closure and their retrial benefits are different but very meagre. There are more than sixty lakh employees covered under Employees' Pension Scheme-1995 (EPS-95). The FCIL employees are getting a fixed static pension of plus or minus one thousand rupees since 2002. This is the actual story.

All the CPSU Retirees' Associations in the country covered under EPS-95 have made numerous appeals, conducting dharnas, meeting all the concerned changing central ministers in all the governments since 2002 and getting assurances for upward revision of pension. Several committee reports, court verdicts supported the cause of employees which were defied conveniently.

More than one and half decades of retirees' efforts resulted in fiasco. Most of them have turned septuagenarians and are ailing and also meeting the inevitable end.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's governance is gaining admirable. resurgence with his bold and dynamic decisions.

He is earnestly appealed to bestow EPS-95 pensioners by fixing a minimum pension at Rs. 7,500 p.m. taking into account government's revised base salary of Rs.15,000 with linkage to dearness allowance as applicable to Central Government pensioners without institution of further committees or investigations.

Dr NSR Murthy, Secunderabad

94900 56843

Don't victimise the children

The pandemic shouldn't pave the way for exploitation of students by the commercial interests of private schools.(Parents up in arms against pvt schools for subjecting students to stress - THI, 8 August). The conduct of online classes in violation of Union HRD Ministry guidelines may not only play havoc with the health of students but also burn the pockets of parents. It seems the pandemic has become handy for private hospitals and private schools to resort to unethical practices to make big financial gains to the detriment of patients and students.

There is is an urgent need to stop these unethical practices by putting in place the mechanism that is capable of checking all malpractices going on in the areas of education and healthcare. At a time when people are in distress with loss of jobs and dwindling incomes, the greed of corporate hospitals and corporate schools shouldn't lead to people being caught in debt trap.

When there is no approved treatment for Covid-19 and when the efficacy of online teaching is debatable , the murky business being carried out by private hospitals and private schools is devastating the lives of the middle class and the poor. The governments should plunge in to action immediately and take necessary steps to save the people from being looted further in the name of education and healthcare.

Thumati Anuradha, Hyderabad