Simple and down to earth : The road ahead for the CS
- Sangai Express Editorial :: December 04 , 2013 -

Pachuau (PC) Lawmkunga :: pix - TSE

Simple, down to earth, no frills, no nose in the air attitude, not seeking the limelight, yet someone who cannot be taken for granted.

This is the impression that Mr PC Lawmkunga has created, ever since he was catapulted to the seat of the Chief Secretary on August 1 this year.

Two DGPs and one Chief Secretary within a span of four months and certainly, Manipur has seen some changes at the top posts of the two most important Government institutions.

The Sangai Express has already written on more than one occasion on the person who held the post of DGP for the last three months and it is along this line that the focus is now on the Chief Secretary who assumed office four months back. Obviously four months is too short a time to judge the performance of an officer, more so an officer occupying the highest seat in the civil administration, but a look at the past four months may just give an idea of the man who happens to be the Chief Secretary.

Did not go to the extent of putting the level of corruption amongst the bureaucrats on a scale of 1 to 10, but the Chief Secretary did not shy away from admitting that there is large scale corruption amongst the officialdom, during an exclusive chat with The Sangai Express on December 3.

The story on page I of this edition should give a better understanding on the point that is sought to be made here.

Governance can never be a one man show and in as much as Mr PC Lawmkunga may be seen as clean, untarnished and man with an agenda to make a difference, it will depend to a large extent on how successful he is in taking his subordinates along with his idea of governance.

Not an easy task, but again not something which is not impossible.

There is also the question of political pressure and while no Government employee will admit to being put under pressure from their political babus, the recent ruling of the Supreme Court to the Government officials not to take oral orders from their political bosses should be more than indicative of how deep rooted this malaise is.

Along with the frills and privileges of occupying key positions in the corridors of power, comes responsibilities.

A universal truism, but which nevertheless does not seem to have registered in the minds of the people who matter.

How deeply Mr PC Lawmkunga acknowledges this is something that remains to be seen but it is important to remind him and all officials that this truism cannot be swept under the carpet forever.

Privileges or powers sans responsibilities would be nothing less than a brutal regime, a regime where those in positions of power can ride rough shod over the sentiments and feelings of the people.

This is where Mr PC Lawmkunga would need to walk the extra mile and try to remove the badge of arrogance from those sitting in the corridors of power.

At the same time, it should also be drilled into the heads of the bureaucrats that they are not private servants, but public servants.

An observation based on the all pervading culture that increasingly Government officials are expected to serve the interest of the political party in power rather than the interest of the land and people.

That this observation came from someone who once occupied the seat of Cabinet Secretary at the Centre, should be enough indication of how deep rooted this is across the country.

To be sure the public too have a responsibility but to keep on harping on public responsibility, while not doing justice to the official work entrusted on them, the officialdom may just be trying to pass the buck.

Four months in office and Manipur would certainly like to see some changes or efforts to change the way in which the Government machinery works and to a large extent this responsibility rests on the shoulder of Mr PC Lawmkunga as the Chief Secretary.

The test began on August 1 and it is up to Mr Lawmkunga to script the progress report.