Change Bureaucracy Change India

It is rightly said change in Bureaucracy is needed to change India to see ‘Achhe Din’. In my opinion policy of Transfer & Posting and writing of APARs spoiling administration and also creating frustration and killing innovative ideas and skill of enthusiastic and sincere government servants. Transfer need not be for sake of transfer, which makes unhappy and also results in hardship not only economically but also socially to a government servant. As the author rightly put it, British used transfers as a weapon to control government servants and to prevent from having good relationship with the citizens. But in independent India it is necessary that government servants shall have good understanding and relation with the citizens, to whom they have to serve. It is wrong to say that a government servant working in his native and/or choice place will not work with integrity and honest. Integrity and honesty depends on one’s mental attitude, character, behavior and personality and nothing to do with a place and posting. No doubt a government servant of doubtful integrity and dishonest nature not only deserve immediate transfer but also deserve for further disciplinary action.

Transfers shall take place based on the need and for administrative reasons, with a transparent policy. Even on a promotion, transfer shall be made if that person cannot be accommodated in opted place or to fill up vacant post for administrative reasons. For the sake of transfer, transferring a promoted person out of the existing place, has no meaning and purpose. To transfer a promotee on promotion, transferring of another person for transfer sake to another place, results in frustration and unhappiness among 2 or 3 persons and thereby services to the citizens also suffer. A person, who is afraid of hardship on transfer, is naturally yield to the pressure of controlling officers and he may not be able to give his best and innovative performance.

The main purpose of writing APAR is to assess performance and capabilities of a government servant for utmost utilization of his knowledge, skill and services, by posting him in an appropriate posting. But unfortunately, in practice it is being used as a tool to control subordinates and to make them fall in line. It is in the common knowledge that general transfers take place even before the availability of all APARs of that year. Every year promotions are delayed for non-receipt of APARs. Thus, message is very clear that performance is nothing to do with transfers and postings. A bench mark of 3 Very Good out of 5 APARs acting as a deterrent to most of the government servants to take independent decisions, to place a decent note and to raise voice against unscrupulous practices of controlling officers. A Good Report though it is not an adverse but of no much use in getting promotion. A Reporting Officer need not give any reasons for giving a mere Good Report. Even if a controlling officer fails to write and forward APAR, an officer is punished by denying promotion for non-availability of APAR (in some cases APAR of a part period even though other APARs are very good or outstanding). A controlling officer who failed to submit APAR goes unpunished. So to get a promotion, he is left to the mercy of his seniors. An officer has to bother himself not only to get a Very Good report but also to see that his APAR is sent by his Reporting and Reviewing Officers on time. In the process official is compelled to fall in line and obey even oral instructions of whatsoever nature of his seniors. No officer would like to work innovatively annoying his senior officers. It is therefore necessary to change policy of APAR. APAR shall be utilized only for judging performance and capabilities of an officer and not to link for giving promotion. In case any officer either for administrative reasons or being unfit for any reasons for further promotion, controlling officer (Reporting Officer) shall be made to write and submit a specific Adverse Report incorporating specific reasons by 30th April every year and a copy of the same shall be furnished to the said official to enable him to furnish his explanation to his Reviewing Officer. In the absence of such an Adverse Report no one shall be denied promotion for want of regular APAR.

V. G. IRKAL
Hospet

vasantirkal vasantirkal 20/08/2015