POLITICAL WILL MUST FOR ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS

Apropos ‘The Indian state needs administrative reforms (February 20)’, Anandpur Sahib MP and former Union minister Manish Tewari has over-simplified the problem and come up with a simplistic, trite solution. No doubt, revenue and police officials at the cutting-edge are indifferent, and even hostile at times, to people approaching them, especially to those who cannot offer cash incentives. The quantity and quality of the manpower on the ground is poor.

This, however, is not the true story.

The political executive, too, has to share the blame. All political parties, and almost all politicians, are in incessant need of money to fight elections and their adversaries. This insatiable requirement for finances leads to policy tweaking for favourite money bags and ‘usually extractive, and often, an authoritarian’ attitude of ruling politicians towards bureaucracy.

The ruling dispensation expects bureaucracy to either get actually involved in its fundraising efforts or ignore its extralegal exertions in that direction. In return, certain privileges and protection are provided to colluding individuals.

Slowly, a cosy relationship between select corrupt bureaucrats and conniving politicians comes into existence. All of this is at the expense of good governance.

Of course, there are exceptions to this scenario, but sadly the number of conscientious politicians and bureaucrats is on the decline. One Ashok Khemka may suffer in full public glare, some bureaucrats languish silently and many fade out. Toplevel

administrators come through the UPSC, an institution which still retains its credibility. Not many have faith in state public commissions/boards, which recruit lower-rung officials.

Politicians get supporters or caste kinsmen adjusted in large numbers in government services. Why then talk of quality of manpower? A fairly large percentage of state resources are squandered on schemes of spurious utility, while vacancies keep piling up, leading to shortages of manpower at the cutting-edge.

Not enough is spent on creating proper working environment or on enhancement of skills. A consensus is required in the political class for administrative reforms. Results emerging from such a consensus will have to be backed by the judiciary too. Anil Kaushik, retired

DGP, Punjab