New Delhi, June 8
In a move that is bound to ruffle many feathers, the Centre proposes to introduce in the Budget session of Parliament, a bill to insulate top bureaucrats from political pressure and ensure a fixed tenure for chief secretaries.
According to government sources, the bill was being fine-tuned and all key issues on the subject mentioned by President Pratibha Patil in her address to the joint session of Parliament were being incorporated into it. Civil servants, particularly in higher echelons of state governments have often in the past faced harassments at the hands of their political masters.
The matter has been a cause of concern for successive governments at the Centre, which has been considering ways to deal with the problem. The Administrative Reforms Commission had also asked the Centre to look into the issue and find remedial measures so that civil servants were not at the mercy of the political leadership.
The proposed bill, however, also seeks to ensure accountability for the civil servants to the system of governance and for effective delivery of public services.
The sources said the bill is bound to face stiff resistance from some state governments, which would content that the Centre was impinging on their rights by bringing in such legislation.
However, the Centre would use all its persuasive skills to bring the opposing state governments round its point of view. Useful suggestions from the states would also be incorporated in the legislation.
