Economic Highlights
New Delhi, 19 October 2012
Govt Rules & Procedures
COSTLY & NEEDLESS MISTRUST
By Shivaji Sarkar
The nation is increasingly becoming obsessed with
corruption. Every aspect of national life is being looked at with suspicion and
everything appears opaque. A fear psychosis is setting in. Pettifogging has
either led to putting off decisions or penalising the innocent, who might have
jumped a rule or not.
While the headlines these days are on
those in public life, mistrust is
equally pronounced in government departments and autonomous institutions. The basic premise unfortunately is not
to trust the employee and to let him and the whole world know about it. Recently, two navy
officials were being prosecuted by their department as they had shared
knowledge of bungee jumping learnt during their courses in the US with common
enthusiasts. Sometime back a lawyer was almost thrown out of her profession for
modelling and action was threatened against some other lawyers for teaching in a
law institute.
Shockingly, in a Government office, simple tour bills
are a high potential risk of either losing the money spent for travelling due
to the inability to produce the receipts or even a job. In fact, the Sixth Pay Commission
rules have made claims even more cumbersome. Accompanied by the British mindset
about Indian workers – that every Indian is corrupt, the trend is a virtual
witch-hunt, humiliation and harassment of those going out on official work.
The burden of ethics is on the worker or the official
but those manning the department have the ubiquitous right of denial of any or
all expenses made. For example, if one spends a modest Rs 2000 on local
transport (taxis and auto-rickshaws) in a city he is sent to, he is denied reimbursement
if he fails to produce the bills. And, even if he gives a bill he could face
the risk of being accused of having forged it and the consequence, though there
is no specific rule, could even be a summary dismissal. The above invokes the
basic question: Is the nation trying to establish the rule of ethics or whims?
Not so long ago an IIT professor was suspended for suggesting
reforms in the examination system. The IIT, Kharagpur misconstrued his
good intentions and sought the Supreme Court's permission to take disciplinary
action against him. The reason cited was that the professor had caused “irreparable
damage to the image and reputation of the institute and for lowering the morale
of the teaching faculty as well as the students by alleging mass copying”.
In another top institute in Delhi, a professor was
summarily dismissed for a mistake he committed in a bill, which he readily owned
up. Perhaps, had he denied the allegation he may not have had to suffer! The
issue actually was not about him making a genuine mistake but more to do with his
bold views about the erroneous ways the institute had been functioning. Even
though he made a representation to the topmost he was accused of a political
bias simply to justify the harsh and humiliating action taken against him. It
is a sad reflection given the fact that others in the same institute making a
quick buck on fake bills were let off with a token or no penalty at all.
These cases beg an answer to what is
objectionable if a lawyer or a Government employee does modeling beyond working
hours or seeks to become a news reader? On its part, the lawyers’ regulatory
body considered it immoral and cited the rule book that a lawyer could not engage
in any other work so long as he/she was a registered lawyer. Clearly, this is
debatable. Likewise, many other organisations and professional bodies have
similar quixotic rules.
Take the case of the Central Administrative
Tribunal (CAT). It is facing many frivolous cases pertaining to promotions and petty
expense bills etc that damage the career, professional and personal lives of
many employees. The rules are kept vague with immense discretionary powers to
keep the staff and officers in tow. These do not help anyone rather damage the
institutions, departments and the working atmosphere. But, for the bosses there
is a “positive” side -- the rules inadvertently promote a culture of
sycophancy. These could be interpreted either which way depending on the
equation with the employee. A study of the cases in CAT would make startling
revelations.
Therefore the nation needs to act and
review all such frivolous rules. Claiming a paisa or two more in a bill is
often equated with the largest corporate crimes. One can emphatically say that
it is never so.
If these rules are transparent and
intimidation is not the rule, institutions such as CAT and other administrative
tribunals would become redundant. At least they would have far fewer cases than
they have to grapple with now.
This apart, there is an economic cost involved
as well. Each such frivolity leads to enormous legal actions and expenses by
all, the victims and the Government. In other words, government is paying for
harassment and intimidation for petty jealousies and rivalries in such
organisations and ending up spending thousands of crore in unnecessary and
unwanted litigations.
Moreover, the Government departments
thrive on other whimsical actions. In many departments, a promotion that is due
is not given and of late there is an ingenious method to put it off for years. After
going through the process of departmental proceedings for promotions,
interviews et al, these are referred by the final panel to vigilance department
for an enquiry. It is common knowledge that anything that is referred here is put
off for an indefinite period and leads to demoralisation of the young talented
staff. In turn, they start looking for avenues outside the Government, leaving
the latter to make do with the less-talented.
Ironically, while the country has not
been able to stop corruption at the highest level, it has developed an
expertise to use it to harass the poor workers and talented staff, scientists
and professionals. Can it be stopped? Yes, the solution is simple, but it may
not suit the bosses. For one, travel and promotion rules should be simplified and
implemented on a time-bound basis. Expenses need to be evaluated on the actual
requirement.
The Government must end its penchant
for witch-hunting in the lower rungs. An employee should be encouraged to work
and not be harassed. Perhaps, it could take a cue from the private corporate,
wherein even if a superior does not trust his junior, he does not make it
public, but deals with it at an individual level. There is need to build this
trust in Government and its institutions. Let the rules be transparent and
clear-cut, leaving no scope for maneuvers or corruption, which sadly has
engulfed the nation like never before. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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