Rust in the Iron Frame

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi was at his katha vachak best on the Civil Services Day. His audience was practically the entire civil services. Those who couldn't make it to hear the PM in person were linked via teleconferencing. Besides the usual exhortations made by every PM on April 21, Narendra Modi also touched on three Cs — the CAG, the CBI and the CVC - which he identified as stumbling blocks in decision-making, ultimately resulting in policy paralysis. No one has a bone to pick with that line of argument.

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Babudom in India has been stereotyped as timid, overcautious and frequently prone to indecision. Although this broad brush view is more due to the prevailing politics of indignation than a reasoned analysis. The bureaucrat usually sits over a file or passes the buck in order to save his own skin from future tribulations. The latest victim of overzealousness or petty mindedness of the 3 Cs was former Coal Secretary H C Gupta, widely reputed as an above broad bureaucrat. Gupta was reduced to asking the court probing the Coal-Gate scandal to sentence him to prison as he did not have the resources to contest the bogus uprightness of the investigating agencies.

But ever since the culture of accusation entered out body-politic, starting with the Bofors scandal in the late 80s, bureaucrats have realised that it is always better to be safe than sorry after retirement. The virus has made further inroads after many bureaucrats decided to cast their lot with one political party in state after state. The PM is right in demanding quicker decisions and exhorting officials not to be afraid of the consequences. While any public servant found with his hand in the till must be given exemplary punishment, the onus is on PM to remove the fear of misplaced missionary zeal among investigating agencies that has blighted many upright officials with the right drive and energy. A regime that continues to define itself by its slogan of ``brashtachar-mukta'' (corruption-free) will find its bureaucratic instruments blunted by the 3 Cs.