Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Apr 10: Emphasising the importance of a compatible working environment for bureaucrats and other officers in the administration, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here that bureaucrats are essential tools for governance and good Governance cannot be achieved with bad tools. How can one expect a bureaucrat to redress grievances of citizens if he is himself aggrieved, he asked.
Talking to a delegation of senior officers in Govt of India who met him to bring to his notice, issues related to their delayed promotions,etc, Dr Jitendra Singh said, if any officer feels aggrieved on any account, it is the responsibility of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) or General Administration Department (GAD) to address these issues and to resolve them.The ultimate idea is to ensure that each officer gets opportunity to serve to the maximum of his or her potential,he said.
Referring to a number of officer-friendly decisions taken by the Modi Government during its tenure of last 22 months, Dr Jitendra Singh mentioned the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, which is pending in the Parliament and which seeks to provide provision of seeking permission for prosecution of officers at all levels whereas it was earlier available only for the officers of the rank of Joint Secretary and above. Similarly, he said, the transfer policy has been relaxed in case of such Government officials who happen to be parents or care-givers of a specially abled child.
Even while following the policy of zero tolerance towards corruption, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Government will ensure that no officer is allowed to feel intimidated or harassed without reason.
With increasing workload and high level of public accountability as well as media scrutiny, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the bureaucrats are obviously under stress and beginning from April last year, the DoPT has also started regular daily Yoga sessions for its officers and the response has been very encouraging. Even in the allocation of State cadres, wherever possible under rules, appropriate help is provided to the officer, which is evident from the accomodative manner in which the division of cadre was done by the DoPT between newly formed State of Telengana and Andhra Pradesh soon after the Modi Government take over, he said.
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