Extensive civil service reforms and fixed job tenure will check arbitrary transfer of bureaucrats

Indian bureaucrats are notorious for lordly indifference to performance as long as the political master favouring them is not displeased or their jobs are not threatened by instances of grave misconduct. But an analysis of executive record sheets of thousands of bureaucrats shows that the once mighty steel frame of the British empire has now turned to plasticine: 68% of IAS officers who have completed 10 years or more in service have had a depressingly low average tenure of 18 months. Over the years, the bureaucracy has succumbed to the whims and caprice of its political masters who treat civil servants as putty.

It is not only Ashok Khemka who has become famous as a much-transferred IAS officer. Several officers from his parent cadre — Haryana — have been pushed around from one district to another, from one job to another. The story of others of Khemka's ilk is the same across states, with one Himachal Pradesh bureaucrat having the unenviable record of being transferred 52 times in 33 years of service. The impact of such wanton transfers is that the power to promote public good has been restricted, making it difficult for even the most conscientious and competent officers to deliver on governance.

The political class has been able to have its way on arbitrary transfers because systemic fault lines have not been corrected by way of civil service reforms, focussing on, inter alia, insulating the bureaucracy, infusing functional independence and instituting tenure security. Recently, the Supreme Court ordered setting minimum tenures for bureaucrats and put curbs on arbitrary transfers and postings of civil servants by their political masters. But there has been no substantive progress on administrative and civil service reforms because of a lack of political will all round.

On its part, the bureaucracy must bind itself to be accountable if it is to regain lost prestige and power or function independently. Any government serious about addressing governance issues must fix the tenure of bureaucrats at all levels, especially the districts where abuse of power by the political class is rampant and excessive deference to politicians is a culture of its own. Failure to urgently attend to restructuring governance institutions, continuing with antiquated rules and refusal to undertake across-the-board civil service reforms will progressively erode public trust and confidence in governance institutions.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com