Letters: Give them freedom

With reference to "Delivering on good governance" (January 13), coming from an ex-bureaucrat himself, the four suggestions made by former foreign secretary Shyam Saran are worth emulating. The personnel who occupy key posts in institutions not only need to have requisite experience but also be adaptable to the changing needs of the time, and the main goal is to provide good governance without much effort. But the most critical aspect is fast decision-making with a clearly defined time frame for a policy roll-out. I agree that our bureaucracy does not fall short of talent; it needs to be leveraged constructively.

As rightly mentioned in the article, unfortunately current practice does not allow bureaucrats to act freely without fearing for the penalty. But I do not think that age could hamper them from becoming agents of change, ultimately it boils down to the right and positive attitude. Prime Minister Modi has acted positively by asking secretaries to come up with breakthrough ideas. At the same time, he needs to give them all the freedom they require and act like the chief executive of a private sector company to make the real difference.

Bal Govind Noida

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