Administrative Reforms To Be Monitored

The Centre is intent on ensuring that administrative reforms to make government more transparent and citizen-friendly are actually carried through by the states on the lines agreed at the conference of Chief Ministers late last month.

Describing the meeting as a very very major event, cabinet secretary T S R Subramaniam pointed to the action plan that was unanimously evolved. Among the points agreed on are a right to transparency bill, the right to information and the depoliticisation of transfers and postings.

He strongly denied the suggestion that the good intentions expressed at the conference would remain on paper. We have a strong monitoring cell with me. Yes. We are going to say, on each of the nine points, what is the movement, between the government of India and the states, he says.

We are asking the states to have their own system. Six months from today, I hope to persuade the prime minister to call a meeting of chief minister and say, six months back we have decided, all of us said it is imperative, it is timely. it is necessary. Credibility is gone. We have to restore credibility. We have said these words. What have you done? And a concrete action plan, we have given. We have not just said, do something. We have said, do one, two, three, four, to nine. So, I think, the process has started now. We are well on way.

Subramaniam agreed that these reforms were imperative to the process of economic reform. If the interface between the government and the people is not good, what will economic reform perform, he asked.

We are talking of information. Information is relevant to economic reform. We are talking of discipline. It is relevant. We are talking of code of ethics. It is relevant. We are saying postings and transfers should be done on merit. It is relevant. Everything is relevant. It is the body politic. And it has to get reformed.

Subramaniam said he was confident about the political will for such changes. I think the chief ministers are now aware things have to happen in India. We cannot do talking any more. We have got to do. Everybody is slowly getting that awareness. That we have got to perform. Some states are already showing the way. Bengal is showing the way. Andhra Pradesh is showing the way. Kerala is showing the way. These are all states that are performing generally well. And other states have to follow suit. Otherwise people will reject them.