Is there a functional govt.?

Leave alone that the ADMK regime led by Jayalalitha is incapable of formulating and implementing farsighted projects for the development and progress of the State, but even day-to-day functioning and administration of the government seemed to be at standstill. There is a Chief Secretary and Advisors to the Chief Secretary in the secretariat who have to ensure that all the departments had at least nominal heads if not any dynamic heads as secretaries. But even this minimum function is not being performed.
The Tamil Nadu government came under fire in the Madras High Court, yet again, for not having a fulltime Law Secretary for several months now, when the first bench of the court noticed that there was no mechanism in the department to keep track of status of cases and affidavits filed in the high court.
The bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam, after clarifying that the officer appearing in court was indeed an in-charge law secretary’ and not a fulltime official, said they had summoned the officer to explain as to how cases filed in the High Court were not monitored and why affidavits not being filed in time continued to be a “perennial problem.”
The bench said: “On our query, we are informed that the Law department does not even have consolidated data on how many cases pertaining to the state government are pending before this court ­ what monitoring will they do!“ “We have been emphasising that a computer database should be created so as to have the complete data of pending cases, the dates listed as also the date for compliances, including filing of affidavits,” said the bench, adding: “If this expertise is unavailable with the government, they could get it from elsewhere as most of the departments in other States manage the affairs in this manner.”
The government pleader then assured the judges that he would file an affidavit explaining the procedure followed for filing affidavits, the role of the Law department and how it monitors the whole thing. Recording the statement, the judges adjourned the matter to August 10 for further hearing.
In yet another shocking revelation during the hearing, the Centre informed that it had not sanctioned funds for the State judiciary for the financial year 2014-15 due to non-receipt of the utilisation certificate for the funds released earlier. “This is a serious matter,” the judges said adding, “on our inquiry the government pleader states that he will obtain instructions in this behalf.” It is shameful and highly condemnable that even this routine work of sending fund utilisation certificate is not being carried out in the department.
The appointment of Law Secretary is mired in a controversy with the High Court refusing to spare a (favourable) district judge who was named by the State government for the post. The government refused to appoint another district judge suggested by the HC for the post. Ever since the tussle broke out, the government has not appointed a Law Secretary.
A reshuffle is long overdue in Tamil Nadu bureaucracy with nine IAS officers retiring and one official dying since January 1. More than a dozen key posts, including that of secretaries in energy, social welfare and nutritious meal, labour and employment, are being held by senior IAS officers, whose principal postings are in other departments.
For instance, Food, Consumer Protection and Cooperation secretary Md Nasimuddin is holding additional charge of social welfare and nutritious meal programme. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises secretary Kumar Jayant is in charge of Labour and Employment, Food Safety and Drug Administration. Rajesh Lakhoni heads Agriculture department as secretary, but also holds additional charge of Energy. IT secretary T K Ramachandran is also in charge of Special Programme Implementation, which was held by Shanthini Kapoor, who died in a tragic road accident early this year.
Differently-abled Welfare department secretary P Sivasankaran is in charge of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare also. One of the primary revenue earners for Tamil Nadu government, TASMAC, the monopoly liquor retailer in the State, does not have a full-time MD.
Sivaganga district does not have a proper Collector. Since June 1, the district revenue officer is holding additional charge of collector’s post. C Kamaraj heads three entities -- Cement Corporation, Salt Corporation and Industrial Explosives Limited. The only commonality for the three firms is that all of them function out of the same building on Anna Salai. Three more posts fell vacant on Jun19 as the State government relieved three senior officials for Central deputation; two months after the Centre cleared their files.
The last major reshuffle took place in December 2014, when K Gnanadesikan was appointed Chief Secretary and M Sai Kumar the TNEB chairman.
The last one year witnessed a long legal battle between the State government and senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram, who went on deputation to CBI based on a directive from the Centre, but without waiting for the State to relieve her. She has now been appointed director of National Crime Records Bureau.
Even while many middle-level IAS officers wait for postings, many retired bureaucrats handpicked by the ruling dispensation, are holding key posts in the government. A few officers, who have returned to the State after serving at the Centre or doing outstation duty, have not been given postings.
“Delay in posting full-time officers affects the functioning of such departments. It is difficult for an officer to give divided attention to different departments and manage them efficiently,” said M G Devasahayam, a retired IAS officer of Haryana cadre.
DMK Treasurer Thalapathi M.K.Stalin noted “All the key organisations in the State government which maintain transparency and vigilance against corruption remain vacant or ineffective. Despite many scams coming to light, there have been no efforts to fill these vacancies. For instance, no one has replaced the retired Chief Information Commissioner who was appointed during DMK rule. Nor has the State Government taken any steps to fill the post of Director in the DVAC, and Commissioner in State Vigilance Commission which are the most important anti- corruption bodies.
Worse still, while the State faces a massive unemployment problem the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission which millions of youth look to for job opportunities is without a Chairman. The ADMK government has not replaced Navaneethakrishnan (former Chairman), who was made a Rajya Sabha member. Transparency and anti-corruption is pivotal for welfare and governance. Callousness in following procedures can hamper healthy and efficient administration, he stated and appealed to the ADMK government to appoint full time officers to all these posts if they are serious about good governance at least for the remainder of its term. (05-07-15)