For long time, there has been a debate about administrative and bureaucratic reforms in state. In this regard many commissions were framed with resultant baggy reports and suggestions. But the common feeling is that little has changed. The previous government issued a list of deadwood officers and retired them from the services with an aim to improve the administrative functioning and making it responsive and transparent.
The order mounts a consequential pressure among the bureaucratic community however little impact was witness at the level which is considered as the lode of corruption and administrative malfunctioning. The problem with the previous order issued during PDP- BJP government was lack of revolutionary points besides order was limited to few lower rung officials, while big guns were left untouched.
Now the governor’s administration has come up with another order which seeks to retire compulsorily bureaucrats who are either incompetent or tainted. This order also says once these officers are identified through a process, they will be forced to pack their bags. There is nothing new in these orders and circulars. It is clear that various sections and provisions in Constitutional Fundamental Rules and Civil Service Law mentions about retirement of inefficient and corrupt officers and the government has an absolute right to retire, if necessary in the public interest, prematurely under rules. Now Governor NN Vohra has directed that decision in all cases pending for sanction of prosecution in various Departments should be expedited. Vohra has also asked departmental heads to take into account all relevant records including personal file of such officers, besides assessing their performance based on files dealt by them. Though the public considered earlier such orders issued by representative government as ‘eye wash’ limited to few lower rung official, however, now the public has expressed hopes that being a top Bureaucrat Governor NN Vohra will expand the sphere of orders of administrative and cover all such big guns who are considered as more deadly and influential.