Occupying the privileged seat of CS : New man at the helm
- Sangai Express Editorial :: August 01, 2013 -

To be sure, the Government must have already decided. But at the time of writing this editorial, in the evening of July 31, there is as yet no official announcement on who would be the next Chief Secretary, now that Mr DS Poonia’s tenure has come to an end, after an extension period of three months.

The Sangai Express is not particularly concerned on who would become the next Chief Secretary but it is however important to remind the Government that in appointing any officer to such a privileged and responsible post, extra care should be taken to see that the appointment is made in the interest of the State and the people.

Flip the coin and the other side would say that in the process of appointing the next top man in the bureaucracy, no one should be seen to have been victimised or sidelined.

Not an easy task but not something which should not be addressed.

In the absence of any hard bound officially laid down procedures in making such appointments, many factors, other than seniority and merit can be taken into considerations and this is where the Government needs to tread cautiously.

As pointed out, the Government must surely have zeroed in on the officer who will succeed Mr DS Poonia, but it is important for the Government to convey the message to the people that whoever is appointed the next Chief Secretary deserves it.

Just as important as delivering justice and conveying the idea that justice has indeed been delivered. This is what is called prudence.

In as much as The Sangai Express is not particularly concerned on who is appointed the next Chief Secretary, it is concerned about the parameters which the Government would have adopted to appoint the next top civil officer.

Only time will tell, but it is important to keep certain points in mind. Appointments to such high profile and responsible post should not, repeat, should not, mean to serve the interest of any political party or political masters.

It is this practise or trend, which has been the bane of Indian democracy down the years and it is crucial that this point is repeatedly reminded to the next Chief Secretary.

In the next few months, Manipur may well see a new DGP, that is if the service of the present incumbent is not extended.

Here too, the Government needs to be reminded that if at all a new man is to head the State Police Department, then it should take care to see that no one is being seen to have been victimised or sidelined.

This is all that more important in a place like Manipur where ethnic divides run deep.

Political appointment is the loose term that has gained credence whenever appointments to high profile positions like the posts of the Chief Secretary or the DGP are made.

It is this which is worrying for intrinsic in this observation is the point that these appointments are made to serve the interest of a political party or the political masters.

Runs contrary to the idea of governance and not politicising the workings of the bureaucracy and the police department.

To be fair, this is an all India trend, but this should not be any excuse for Manipur to toe this line.

The rot in the functioning of the Government Departments can be traced to a large extent on the prevailing culture of Government officials, particularly the police, expected to serve the interest of political parties or politicians who are in power.

This is where favouritism, which comes close to corruption gains credence and overrides other aspects such as competence, merit and diligence.

The next man in the seat of the Chief Secretary may not be able to completely alter this trend or culture, but in welcoming the new Chief Secretary, The Sangai Express would like to remind him that he is here to serve the interest of the people and not the political party in power.