Manish Tewari writes to LS Speaker, seeks constitution of committee on administrative reforms

Congress MP Manish Tewari has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla suggesting the constitution of a permanent Parliamentary Standing Committee on comprehensive administrative reforms.

The senior Congress leader said that time has come for Parliament to set up a permanent Standing Committee on the issue of comprehensive Administrative Reforms, which should be headed by the Speaker or jointly with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.

"It should consist of 30 members just like any other Standing Committee of Parliament with the mandate to examine reports of both the previous administrative reform commissions, take evidence, hold broad-based consultations with the experts and come up with detailed recommendations as to how India's archaic administrative system can be holistically overhauled," he stated in the letter

"Despite two Administrative Reforms Commissions set up earlier, there has been no attempt or effort in the past seven decades to reform the 'colonial administrative paradigm bequeathed to us by our erstwhile Imperial Masters'," he said.

Tewari said that governments irrespective of their political colour have been "completely inept" at taking any initiative in this regard.

"The government may strongly resist any such proposal to set up a permanent Standing Committee. There is also a huge vested interest, ably led by the bureaucracy, that will go to any length to stymie any such effort," Tewari said.

The second half of the Budget Session of Parliament will begin on Monday.

The Government is expected to push its legislative agenda that includes Bills relating to surrogacy and resolution of disputed tax.