The Hindu Business Line : Public Services Bill

The Government has invited the comments and suggestions of the public on a draft Bill to make public services in India, a professional, politically neutral, merit-based, and accountable instrument for promoting good governance and better delivery of services to the citizens, rooted in a set of fundamental values and ethical principles, such as allegiance to the Constitution, objectivity, integrity, impartiality, diligence, and professional competence.

The basic premises of the legislation are the inalienable right of citizens to good governance, which will be participatory, transparent, accountable, governed by the rule of law, equity and inclusiveness, besides guaranteeing effectiveness and efficiency in performance by means of a politically neutral, professional, accessible and ethical public service. Failure to observe the Code of Values prescribed in the Bill will invite stringent disciplinary action.

It further envisages the setting up of a high-powered Central Authority to enforce the Code as also to oversee the working of the systems, rules and procedures relating to recruitment, training and career prospects. It also has a clause giving protection from victimisation to public servants who bring to light instances of malfeasance in their workplaces.

The Bill is certainly to be welcomed as a timely measure to tone up public services. However, it is badly drafted, being too long, full of trite rhetoric and tedious repetitions. There is also too much overlapping in the contents of the two Codes for Public Service Ethics and Public Service Management, which could easily be combined, and the Central Authority is overloaded with functions that are the domain of the administrative Ministry.

Unless the Bill is made crisp, shorter and result-oriented, it is unlikely to make a difference to the work culture in government offices of indifference, indolence and indiscipline.

B. S. RAGHAVAN