Who will guard the Guards ?

Oinam Anand*

The SPF Govt. in general and the Chief Minister in particular have emphasised from time to time that the administration in the state and bureaucracy in all the deparrtments must be accountable and transparent at all levels of administration.

The Chief Minister, in particular appealed the panchayat members of the Imphal east district in one of the functions that the representatives of the people should sincerely try to execute various programs of the Government in action which ultimately benefit the people.

He was ready to punish even the top officers of any department if found guilty in misappropriating public funds. He even went on to the extent that there are a group of talented young MCS officers to whom people can look forward and repose the fate of the future of Manipur.

The speech of the CM is very sweet to our ears. On the other side of the coin which is on the very side of our day to day life, the deplorable functioning of the state machinery.

Unsatisfactory implementation of administrative reforms and programmes, failure of law and order machineries and misadministration of all types are also attributed to the failure and dishonest function of the Government machineries.

There are many examples to prove beyond doubt that persistent political interference has led to the loss of morale and cynicism and contributed to the growth of indiscipline, inefficiency and lack of accountability in the public service.

In the extended budget session of the state which ended on the 3rd April (2008) last, raising the question of misappropriation of Rs 17.2 crores in the power deptt, the MPP MLAs have cornered the ruling SPF from all direction and asked the resignation of the Power Minister for misleading the house.

The Chief Minister had to pacify the members by telling that the High Power Committee led by the Chief Secretary will look into the alleged misappropriation of the public money. The CM assured the house that fitting action would be taken up under the Public Servant Liability Act, if anyone found guilty.

But the people of Manipur had seen, in the past that many inquiry committees had been formed without any positive result or findings.

This time also this high power committee may have similar inference as that of the earlier inquiry Committees. It is just a play of putting the whole process into the state of oblivion.

But the saddening fact that is come up before us is the statement of the retired Chief Engineer of Power department that he was forced to sign a draft proposal to divert the Rs. 17.2 Crore fund from the Plan heads to Non-Plan heads.

The minister concerned denied any hand in it but said that he had observed certain flaws in sub-allocation which need a second proposal.

These rumbles within make us belief that unlawful orders were executed through 'committed' civil servants - some with doubtful integrity - who prompty joined the political hand, with many of them intending to advance their own selfish interest.

Corruption in public administration is not something peculiar to our society. Corruption needs only two prerequisites, first, there must be a predisposition on the part of an individual to accept gratification, and second, he must have some discretionery power to affect some sections of the public. When both these Combine, corruption must prevail.

This is what we seen in our every departments. Those who get more power to rule, the more they are selfish and corrupt. Then the question is, will any suggested administrative reforms or many high power committee findings make a real change unless they are accompanied by the corresponding change in the political behaviour.

The entire administrative machinery in the states and at the centre functions with the ambit of transaction of Bussiness rules, which flow from the Constitution.

Adheherence to these rules and the standing orders promulgated there under is envisaged to lay down the levels of responsibility in the functioning of every department, and consequently accountability of its functionaries, all of whom work under the overall direction and control of the Miniter-in-charge of the department ministry.

The substance of the statement above shows that under the constitutionally prescribed frame of the administration both in the states and at the centre, the minister-in-charge of a department is answerable for the manner in which the department works and fulfills the objective and targets allotted to it, be they are developmental or service.

Thus a minister is also responsible for ensuring that all the functionaries who run the department under his control perform their duties effectively and ensure that there is no aberration or dishonesty in their official dealings.

The main reasons for the growth of corruption in our state is the advent to get rich quick professional politicians on the scene. The only remedy, therefore lies in separating the functions of the politicians and the officials.

The work of the MLAs, Ministers and politicians should not have anything to do with routine day-to-day administration except to see that the policies laid down are effective.

Once people realise the transparency in administration, they would no longer be restive. The people will feel assured that their problems are being attended to by their elected representatives as well as the administration machinery that is control by them.