Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 6: The Central Government has issued a directive to all Government officers/officials including Armed and para-military forces personnel not to make direct representation to the Prime Minister, Ministers, Secretaries and other higher authorities and follow existing instructions and Civil Services Rules to make representations to immediate boss for redressal of the grievances.
The Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training has reiterated the directions following frequent representations to the political leaders by the civil servants and officers of Armed and para-military forces on their grievances that mostly pertained to transfer, promotions and postings.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Government order would be applicable to all Civil Services officers as well including IAS, IPS and State Civil Services apart from all `babus’ and officers of Armed and para-military forces with immediate effect. Cabinet Secretary Pradeep K Sinha has also passed on the similar directions to the officers.
“It has been observed that the Government servants including Civil Services officers of Centre and States, other Government officers and officials and Armed and para-military forces personnel continued to represent to the Prime Minister, Ministers, Secretaries and other higher authorities directly,” the Government order issued by Mukesh Chaturvedi, Director (E) and endorsed by the Cabinet Secretary said.
The order reads: “as per the existing instructions, wherever, in any matter connected with his service rights or conditions, a Government servant wishes to press a claim or seek redressal of a grievance, the proper course for him is to address his immediate superior official, Head of his office or such authority at the appropriate level, which is competent to deal with the matter in the organisation”.
Asserting that submission of representations directly to other authorities by-passing the prescribed channel of communication will be viewed very seriously and appropriate disciplinary action taken against those who violate the instructions, the Government order said: “violation of the order can rightly be treated as an unbecoming conduct attracting the provisions of Rule 3 (1) (iii) of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules.
The order clarified that it would be applicable on all forms of communications including those addressed through e-mails or public grievances portals etc.
It also referred to the provision of Rule 20 of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules prohibiting the Government servants from bringing outside influence in respect of matter pertaining to his service matter. It noted that representation by relatives of Government servant will also be treated as `outside influence’.
The Government has directed all concerned Secretaries, Head of Departments and other senior officers to bring the instructions to the notice of all Government servants including officers/officials of para-military forces and members of armed forces and convey them that action will be taken against all those, who violate these instructions.
Sources said the Government directions were necessitated as number of Government officers/officials including those belonging to Civil Services and members of Armed and para-military forces had been submitting representations to Ministers and senior officers directly seeking to address their grievances that mostly pertained to transfers, postings and promotions.
“Since it was not possible for the Ministers and other senior functionaries of the Government to reply to huge volume of queries submitted by the Government officers/officials apart from Armed forces and para-military personnel and, therefore, it had become imperative on part of the Government to reiterate the original provisions of the order to caution the Government, Armed Forces and para-military officers/officials to stick to them and ensure that they were not violated,” sources said.
When contacted, Minister of State in PMO, Incharge DoPT, Dr Jitendra Singh said the Government’s focus was on ‘maximum governance, minimum Government’ for which the Government is determined to provide work-friendly environment so that the officials/officers perform duties to their potential.
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