Every now and then some retired civil servants come out with his memoirs, painting a glorious picture of the heights of administrative efficiency reached during his reign. There is often the suggestion that had there not been so much political interference, things would have been even more fantastic. It is not unusual for the self-styled hero to blame not only interfering politicians but also fellow civil servants who were idiots or crooks, for his failure. This attitude of smug satisfaction is, unfortunately developed during the years of service. Self preservation rather than service is encouraged by our whole system of rules and procedures.
The remedy has to be drastic and quickly effective. The over-protection now granted to civil servants must end. Today to remove an erring civil servant is just not possible. And the only thing that the highest authority in the Government, both in the state and at the centre, can do is to transfer an official from one job to another.
The rules for taking disciplinary action are so complicated that, in the end, the defaulting civil servant gets away, and gets his full emoluments even for the period of the disciplinary proceedings, thus making it a paid holiday for him.
The result is that the administration has become rule-oriented and not result oriented. Action is possible against the official who takes some interest in his work, but no action is ever taken against a person who does not deliver the goods. If the country is to adopt a result oriented approach, it is necessary to link job performance with job retention.
The existing system of administration seems to encourage civil servants.
