A RECENT battle of wits between a Chief Minister and his bureaucrats has thrown into sharp relief an interesting issue – the varying attitudes and behaviour of civil servants across the country. That the ways of the bureaucracy are neither uniform nor predictable has been evident but the recent episode is thought and debate-provoking. After Mayawati became CM of Uttar Pradesh, she created the post of Cabinet Secretary in the state and installed a working pilot in it. None dared question her move. Rather, the stalwarts of the UP IAS Association, meekly bowing to her decision, bagged prime postings for themselves.
Yet, hundreds of miles away, the Kerala IAS Association recently showed it has a will and a way to boot. Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan had to succumb to the demands of the Kerala IAS Association and appoint a Chief Secretary who is accused in the palmolein corruption case pending before the Supreme Court. The worse irony is that the Chief Minister himself is a petitioner in the case. The highly embarrassed Chief Minister knew very well that such a decision would weaken the case in the Supreme Court and make his task of governance of the state difficult but he had no option.
The issue of the Chief Secretary’s appointment arose following the retirement-cum-leave episode involving the previous incumbent, Lizzie Jacob. The second woman Chief Secretary of the state, she took umbrage when Achuthanandan, in a post-Cabinet meeting briefing, accused her of not informing him about the construction of a helipad at Merchiston Estate for the Prime Minister’s visit to inaugurate ISRO’s research centre Jacob had sanctioned Rs 1 crore for the construction of the helipad at the ecologically fragile site in response to a letter from the Additional Secretary, Department of Space, Government of India. Her decision to go on leave provided every section an opportunity to settle scores with Achuthanandan.
The Centre’s refusal to relieve the Kerala-cadre IAS
officers has behind it the nexus between the powerful
Kerala lobby in the PMO and the state IAS Association
The Opposition demanded his resignation. The Finance Minister gave Jacob a clean chit and Achuthanandan softened his stand, saying his earlier remarks were part of an informal social audit on her performance made in good spirit. But the IAS Association objected strongly when Achuthanandan gave the highest post to KJ Mathew, ignoring the seniority claim of Principal Secretary PJ Thomas. The Chief Minister then approached the UPA government and sought recall of one of the five IAS officers – all senior to Thomas – from the state on central deputation. His demand was turned down and finally Achuthanandan had to appoint Thomas. The Centre’s refusal to relieve the Kerala-cadre IAS officers has behind it the strong nexus between the all-powerful Kerala lobby in the PMO and the state’s IAS Association.
Three vital issues have emerged from this episode. First, from state to state, the bureaucracy behaves differently with political leaders on similar issues. Second, it can lobby successfully at the Centre for its agenda in the states. And, in spite of being an all-India service, it fails to see beyond the frontiers of its own state and identify with the grievances of its brethren in other states. In the final analysis, the Chief Minister is the elected head of the state and should have freedom to choose his team for governance from among the available civil servants with due – if not sole consideration for seniority.
