Stop passing the buck when you see files, cabinet secretary tells officers Courtesy TOI 25.12.2021
Courtesy TOI 25.12.2021 Delhi/Gurugram edition
Stop Passing the buck When you see files : Cabinet Secretary Tells officers
New Delhi : for years government officials have taken
refuge in phrases such as ‘may also see’ or ‘may kindly see’ on files that move
from one desk to another just because no
one wants to take a call on the matter mentioned in them- a case passing hot potatoes around the
circles. The “syndrome” has caught the attention and drawn criticism from the country’s
top bureaucrat at a time when the govt. Is seeking to speed up decision making
and reduce red tap, with Cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba urging senior officers
to consciously avoid taking course to such phraseology and encourage other
colleagues not to succumb to risk averse behavior.
LAYERS DEFUSE RESPONSIBILITY
There are too many levels in govt hierarchy &files
go through different layers ,not adding any value, says cabinet Secy Rajiv Gauba
Says multiple levels don’t make any significant
contribution to decision making; they consume more time and defuse responsibility
Points to ‘culture of making papers up’, says syndrome
of ‘May also see or May kindly see’ on file is ‘risk avoidance’ by officials to 'feel
safe that it has been seen by some body else or some body above’
Seeking a change in the way the government works, the Cabinet Secy said at a workshop on ‘increasing Efficiency in Decision making’
that unless government departments change their culture and take timely
decisions, even big-ticket announcements made by the government will not take
off.
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