A mixed bag of officers

Surinderjit Singh Sandhu

THERE are officers of all hues. Those who hold their ground amid intense political pressure are few and far between. During the early 1990s in Punjab, it was not uncommon for candidates for the sarpanch’s post to be detained by the police or not be allowed to file their nomination papers if they dared to defy the government. In the late 1990s, a roster was prepared for the reserved/open posts of sarpanch in the panchayat elections, but political interference remained as pervasive as ever, leading to corruption and favouritism.

In the run-up to an election, when some deputy commissioners did not accede to the unlawful demand of politicians to tweak the roster to accommodate their protégés, they complained to the Chief Minister. He had to call a special meeting of the deputy commissioners; a couple of them explained the law to him. Those who proclaimed that they would consult the minister sahib and accommodate the candidates in the roster were cheered.

One deputy commissioner told the CM that since he had already got the roster approved by the state election commission, there was no question of accommodating anyone. The CM, looking sternly at the officer, said: ‘I will hold a separate meeting with you.’

A candidate for the sarpanch’s post went to the office of the block development and panchayat officer (BDPO) to file his papers. The officer took out a list from his pocket and read it. He then told the candidate that his papers had already been rejected. The aspirant said respectfully: ‘Sir, all the papers are still in my jhola (cloth bag). I have not filed the papers so far, so how can these be rejected?’ The BDPO retorted: ‘Tere kaagaz jhole vich ee radd (your papers have been rejected in the bag itself)’. After saying these words, the officer left the room in a huff.

Once, a message reached the divisional commissioners that the financial commissioner revenue (FCR) would hold a meeting in Chandigarh to discuss computerisation of land records. The Revenue Minister presided over the meeting. He stated that they all had to ensure the victory of certain candidates in the elections of a prominent religious organisation. One of the commissioners told the FCR bluntly that this was not part of their job, adding that such a meeting should not have been called in the first place. This rare specimen of a courageous officer reached a high position in his career despite suffering setbacks every now and then.

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