The Hindu : New Delhi News : Grievance Commission fails to achieve its aims

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 25, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Grievance Commission fails to achieve its aims

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI, JUNE 24. This was one set-up formed with the objective of providing an outlet to the grievances of the common man in the Capital against official apathy. However, over the years the Public Grievances Commission has virtually become a rehabilitation centre for retired senior bureaucrats by the Delhi Government. And in the process, the Commission is veering away from the basic aim of resolving the problems of the people in a fair and objective manner.

Interestingly, the retiring Chief Secretaries over the years have filled up the vacancy created in the Public Grievances Commission and history is all set to repeat itself all over again now. The present Chief Secretary, Shailja Chandra, who is tipped to head it once she retires this coming June 30, holds the charge of the Public Grievance Commission. According to informed sources in the Delhi Government, it is the perks, allowances, accommodation and the plush office that make the senior bureaucrats lobby with the political bosses for this post of the Commission, often termed as a toothless tiger.

Sample this. The person who heads this Commission gets a salary of approximately Rs. 40,000 with the basic starting at Rs. 26,000. The retired bureaucrat gets to retain the palatial house at a meagre rent of Rs. 600 per month. In addition, he or she gets a chauffer-driven car, free telephone at office and residence, a plush office and other freebies attached to the job. The present incumbent, P.S. Bhatnagar, on an extension, will retire on June 30 after an almost two-and-a-half year's tenure.

The Commission was formed in 1998 but was hardly given any powers to pass strictures against any official or Department for not implementing its recommendations. Its recommendatory nature regarding the problems of people has ensured that officials hardly take things seriously and it is rare that any suggestions or directions issued by the Commission are actually implemented in letter and spirit. The Delhi Government has over the years refrained from empowering the Commission with the required powers and instead turned the Commission into a rehabilitation centre for the retiring senior bureaucrats.

Senior bureaucrat Mahesh Prasad headed the Commission at its inception. Later, when his successor, S. S. Vaish, retired in December 2001, the then Chief Secretary, Mr. Bhatnagar was given the additional charge for a month pending his retirement in January. After his retirement, Mr. Bhatnagar took over as the Chairman of the Commission. His tenure ended in February this year, but he was given a four-month extension. The idea behind the extension was to accommodate Ms. Chandra who retires on June 30. Ms. Chandra presently holds additional charge of the Chairperson of the Commission and would in all likelihood take up the job once out of office.

"The idea to appoint the retiring Chief Secretary as the Chairperson does not appeal as he or she will have to hear the grievances against the Government they headed till only recently. This does not ensure the kind of unbiased approach required for the job and often leads to adoption of partial or prejudiced approach by the head of the Commission. This practice should be ended and some meaningful person who has little connection with the Government and its functioning should be appointed for the job if the Government really intends to give an ear to the common man,'' a senior official remarked.

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