:: OP-ED

Dilli ka babu

Dilip Cherian

Oct..31 : The Jharkhand government has done little to solve the administrative crisis created by the depleted number of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers in the state. Out of the sanctioned strength of 143 posts for IAS officers, as many as 68 posts are yet to be filled. Not surprisingly, therefore, many babus are handling multiple departments. Some babus, including N.N. Sinha, A.K. Satpathy and Arun Kumar Singh, are holding three posts. Nitin Madan Kulkarni, special secretary in the health department, is not only managing three departments but also the Jamshedpur-based Adityapur Industrial Area Development Authority as the transport commissioner as well as the joint director!

This situation is not too pleasant for the over-worked babus in the state who, despite all efforts, are delaying schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana meant to benefit the poor. The shortage of babus in Jharkhand is due to the reluctance of some of their colleagues on Central deputation to return to the state. According to sources, as many as 15 IAS babus from the state are currently posted in Delhi. Although, sources say, the Centre has added three babus to the Jharkhand cadre, it is clearly not enough.

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Rule of ‘thumb’

The barely-a-month-old biometric attendance system has already changed the work culture at the Union home ministry. Babus are now reporting for work on time! Apparently, over 90 per cent of the subordinate staff and 70 per cent of junior officers in the home ministry are now clocking in by 9 am — an impressive feat by the standards of Indian babudom. Sources say that P. Chidambaram’s innovation has evoked a great deal of interest in sarkari circles. Now apparently the railway, coal, fertilisers and chemicals and finance ministries too have expressed interest in acquiring similar systems. The Himachal Pradesh government too is keen to install these machines.

Of course, banks and corporate houses have used biometric identification systems for years, and even the Municipal Corporation of Delhi installed this system for its employees last year, though this particular experiment was reportedly less successful when municipal babus found a way to circumvent the machines. But with Mr Chidambaram leading by example, it may soon be difficult for babus elsewhere to avoid the scanner when the mantris lead in person!