The Indian bureaucracy is unstable due to its skewed structure: top heavy, bulging middle and effete knees. The top echelon is the mastermind. Ensconced in ivory tower, It has empowered itself by its marriage of convenience (Call it “arranged marriage”. if you will) to political bosses. Serial scams could not have taken place without the covert support of the Steel frame of bureaucracy.
Consider the latest GOI orders that exclude top bureaucrats (Secretaries, Addl Secretaries et al ) from CVC’s purview in corruption matters. About 1300 top GOI officers, CMDs, Functional Directors of PSUs , public sector Financial and Banking institutions, are now out of bounds of the CVC by a single masterstroke. Complaints against this “privileged monarchy” would now be handled by a Committee of four top Officers. With preliminary investigations in the hands of Secretary (Coordination) in Cab Sectt, genuine complaints getting trashed on grounds of being “frivolous, baseless and motivated”. About 90 % of CVOs in PSUs and Banks are IAS officers whose annual performances are assessed by respective CEOs on quid pro quo basis.
Implications would be disastrous. The decision to transfer CVC’s powers to a panel of babus would benefit extra-Constitutional authorities, Political parties, Ministers , Secretaries, CMDs, Functional Directors of central PSUs , financial and banking institutions . Freebies to ministerial mandarins would grow exponentially.
It is now clear why are the IAS generalists (lacking domain knowledge) lining up for appointment as CEOs of PSUs, banking & financial institutions, as willing replacements to professionals? Strangely, the draconian move passed off innocuously without catching Media’s attention. One wonders what was the crying need to dilute the importance of a statutory body like the CVC, when the scope and coverage of the Lokpal Bill is under active consideration of the Parliamentary Committee. Is it a subtle move to save top officers involved in CWG, 2G and the Coal scams? One could file the RTI application with DOP&T to access relevant notings and analyse the ulterior motives of the temporary Executive . Perhaps, K M Chandrasekhar, former Cabinet Secretary would know better !
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