Did Mamata’s trusted bureaucrat Gautam Sanyal know about rail fare hike?

IF sacked railway minister Dinesh Trivedi’s claims are correct, Mamata Banerjee’s secretary Gautam Sanyal, a Central secretariat service officer, knew in advance that rail fare would be hiked. Trivedi has not named Sanyal but told a news channel that he kept Mamata’s closest bureaucrat posted about an imminent rail fare hike. Everyone could guess that the concerned bureaucrat would have to be none other than Sanyal.

Those outside Kolkata’s corridors of power are not very familiar with Sanyal, the new poster-boy of India’s babudom. In June 2009, Sanyal became joint secretary in food processing ministry. But this Central Secretariat Service officer fast-tracked his career once he landed up in Rail Bhawan as OSD to Mamata Banerjee. Once Ms Banerjee became chief minister of West Bengal, Sanyal too took a flight to Kolkata. He retired, but Didi stunned the IAS lobby by keeping Sanyal as her key secretary. There were rumours that Sanjay Mitra, former PMO official would move to chief minister’s office as secretary to CM after Sanyal’s retirement. But that did not happen.

Secretary to CM in any state is a highly powerful post, but in case of West Bengal it commands a lot of respects too. After all, some of the distinguished bureaucrats held that rank in the state. For example, bureaucrats like Bhaskar Ghose (who later become information and broadcasting secretary), Subir Dutta (later became Union defence secretary) and SN Menon (became Union commerce secretary) were all secretaries to CM.

In October 2011, BoI wrote: “Gautam Sanyal to Mamata is what Pulok Chatterji is to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Sanyal is Mamata’s Pulok”.

Dinesh Trivedi praises Railways' IIT, IIM brains; wants designer clothes for railmen

Dinesh Trivedi on B-Day

THE political aftershocks of Dinesh Trivedi’s rail budget might have overshadowed what he said and proposed in the budget, but the fine-prints clearly suggest Trivedi’s outlook towards the rail babus was out and out positive. The man who had a history of using the harshest possible comments against bureaucrats, actually showered praise on 14-lakh-strong Rail Parivar for their “dedication, hardwork, loyalty and sacrifice” and proposed to recruit one lakh more employees during 2012-13.

“This talent-rich organization (Indian Railways) includes the best brains from IITs, IIMs, medical colleges and other professional institutes,” said Trivedi in his budget speech. In an attempt to increase the brand value, he wanted rail men to wear designer clothes. He informed the Parliament that he had requested Ahmedabad-based NID to design “appropriate outfits for various categories of workforce”.

Here are a few excerpts from his speech:

A dedicated Rail Parivar

I am grateful to each and every member of 14-lakh-strong Rail Parivar which has not only given confidence to me but has also shown the direction. It is through their dedication, hardwork, loyalty and sacrifice that the railways have scaled great heights…Right from the Board Members to the gangman, it is only this unity which has overcome various challenges and has made the country proud.

Recruiting 1 Lakh More

These (vacancies) have an adverse impact on operational and safety performance of the organisation. I am happy to inform that during the year 2011-12 we have recruited over 80,000 persons to fill up some of such vacancies. During 2012-13, more than one lakh persons are proposed to be recruited. With these recruitment, Indian Railways will also be wiping out the backlog vacancies of SC, ST, OBC and physically challenged persons and complying with the instructions of DoPT.

Restructuring Railway Board

…my railway family is extremely committed, professional and fully capable of delivering desired results. It is a dream organization to work for the young generation and provides excellent job satisfaction. This talent-rich organization of almost 14 lakh employees includes the best brains from IITs, IIMs, medical colleges and other professional institutes. While it has made outstanding contribution in nation building, I feel the current structure needs to be altered to meet the challenges of changing times. This vast organization has pockets of both excellence and anachronism. The Board should be structured along business lines rather than on functional lines in sync with corporate objectives.

2 New Members

I have decided to induct two new Board Members viz. PPP/Marketing and Safety/Research. The new Members will be charged with the responsibility of finding ways and means of augmenting resources and providing further focus on safety.

Also Read

Why "ineffective, college kids type" bureaucratswaited for Trivedi’s budget

“Ineffective, college kids type” bureaucrats wait to watch Dinesh Trivedi’s rail budget

Can Trivedi Make Indian Railways a Modern Transport System?

AS railway minister Dinesh Trivedi is getting ready to present his first ever Railway Budget this week, many a bureaucrat who was hurt by his earlier comments against Indian bureaucracy is waiting to see how “effective” his rail budget is going to be! Will his Budget incorporate out-of-the-box ideas to take the mammoth Indian railways to the next level, or will it be an ordinary document prepared by rail babus which probably “a young man fresh out of college” can fluently read out! Is IR moving towards a debt trap? Or, will Trivedi be able to do any magic to save this massive government department as he presents the Rail Budget on March 14?

As the minister of state for health, Trivedi aired probably the harshest comment against Indian bureaucrats. He called bureaucrats “ineffective” and said college kids would run the health ministry better than the bureaucrats. “Young people fresh out of college would be able to run the health ministry better that these bureaucrats,” he said. Trivedi said bureaucrats are not innovative and they don’t understand technology.

The minister’s anger was directed towards then health secretary K Sujatha Rao over sanctioning of a Rs 140-crore health portal, but Trivedi generalized his comment and hurled it against entire bureaucracy. Then health secretary Sujatha Rao countered the charges saying that Indian bureaucracy “was among the most scrutinized in the world”.

Only recently, the railway minister created another row when he talked about the possibility of a mid-term poll which his leader Mamata Banerjee later distanced herself from. Trivedi too clarified saying that his comment was “personal” which he aired “as a student of political science, and not as a minister”.

62-year old Trivedi is a B Com from St. Xavier College of Calcutta and MBA from University of Texas, USA. He was first elected to Rajya Sabha in 1990.

Keshav Chandra takes over as Member (Mechanical), Railway Board

Keshav Chandra, an officer of the 1975 batch of Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), took over on Saturday as new Member (Mechanical), Railway Board. He will be an ex-officio secretary to Government of India. Prior to this appointment, Chandra had served as General Manager, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), Guwahati. He will continue to hold the post of GM, NFR Railway in addition to his present post until further orders.

He is credited with first set of successful trials for DMRC rakes. Based out of Berlin, Chandra also worked as Railway Adviser for Europe. He wrote a paper titled ‘Donate Once In A Life Time’ and authored a book “One track Mind’.

Past Imperfect: New railway minister Dinesh Trivedi aired possibly the harshest comment against bureaucrats

IT’S a must-know incident for railway babus. Newly-appointed Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi is definitely a doer, but he is also the man who aired one of the harshest comments against bureaucrats.

Exactly a year ago, Trivedi, then a minister of state for health called Indian bureaucrats “ineffective” adding that college kids would run the health ministry better than the bureaucrats. The minister had a massive problem with then health secretary health secretary K Sujatha Rao over sanctioning of a Rs 140-crore health portal.

“Why do we have to wait for the CBI to unearth them (about scams like Medical Council of India)? Where is the accountability for bureaucracy? Politicians are accountable as they have to go back to the people,” Trivedi told a news channel then.

Trivedi further said that bureaucrats are not innovative, and that’s a major roadblock. “They don’t understand technology. Young people fresh out of college would be able to run the health ministry better that these bureaucrats,” he said.

Then health secretary Sujatha Rao countered the charges and said that Indian bureaucracy “was among the most scrutinized in the world”.

Born in 1950 in New Delhi, Trivedi is a B Com from St. Xavier College, Calcutta University and an MBA from University of Texas, USA. In 1990, he was first elected to Rajya Sabha, and in 2002, he was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha and got nominated to Panel of Vice Chairmen, Rajya Sabha.

Rahul Gandhi pulls up rail officials

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi pulled up railway officials after he had met the injured people in the Kalka Mail accident at a Kanpur hospital. Some victims complained that they had not received the promised compensation. A visibly upset Gandhi expressed his unhappiness over the complaints and asked the railway officials to take immediate steps to provide compensation to the victims.

Junior health minister Dinesh Trivedi continues his tirade against bureaucrats; moots all-India Health Service independent of IAS

IN YET another blast against bureaucrats, Trinamool Congress leader and minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi said he doubted the efficiency of bureaucrats in his own ministry, and proposed to create a separate cadre for health services. Minister Trivedi’s proposal of an all-India health service is in line with Railways services where officers go up the ladder to reach top positions.

Trivedi who was at the loggerhead with health secretary K Sujatha Rao over a Rs 140-crore health portal, had recently said that college kids would do better than bureaucrats in health ministry. (Read: College kids versus bureaucrats)

Now, Trivedi has publicly demonstrated his displeasure of his own team of bureaucrats. While speaking at industry lobby Ficci in New Delhi on Monday, minister Trivedi, however, added that he had not questioned the sincerity of bureaucrats but had doubts on efficiency of his ministry’s bureaucrats. (Also Read: Trivedi, Rao and Rs 140 cr portal)

So long as Trivedi’s proposal of creating a separate Indian Health Service on the line of Railway services is concerned, it’s not an easy task at all, as such steps would be vehemently opposed by the IAS lobby as it would curb their power. Currently, IAS officers have no control over Indian Railways and postal departments where their own cadres clinch the top posts. There has been a silent movement of 4000-plus IRS-IT officers to reorient their cadre in the line of the Indian Railways, but it’s a Herculean task considering the fact that currently revenue secretary happens to be an IAS whereas CBDT and CBEC chairmen are officers at the rank of special secretaries.

For Trivedi, the proposal seems to be one straight from his heart, as it lacks basic groundwork and a reality check. Sometime ago, HRD ministry too toyed with an idea of creating an Indian Education Service. No wonder, senior bureaucrats of any department for that matter do not attach much importance to the diktats of ministers of states, as they know for sure who ultimately calls the shots in the ministry! Is Trivedi’s serial tirade against his own bureaucrats a fallout of  senior bureaucrats ignoring him?

If you have a say on real-power of bureaucrats vis-à-vis politicians, do participate in BoI’s online survey, placed on the top left corner of this page. Your vote could make it a difference to find out the truth inside corridors of power.

Action and Appointments

a) UN Panjiyar, a 1973 batch Bihar cadre IAS and secretary in the ministry of water resources will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary in ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, for a period of two months with effect from September 1, 2010 or until further orders.

b) Kapil Mohan, a 1990 batch Karnataka cadre, presently working as director in the ministry of power has been appointed as Deputy Director General (DDG), Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in the rank and pay of joint secretary.

c) The ACC has approved the proposal of the ministry of home affairs for the appointment of RK Medhekar, a 1975 batch Kerala cadre IPS, presently working as special DG, BSF, as Director General, National Security Guard (NSG).

After Trivedi, Subodh Kant Sahay slams bureaucrats, calls them autocrats

AFTER minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi terming Indian bureaucrats “ineffective” and “non-accountable”, it’s the turn of Union food processing minister Subodh Kant Sahay, who has said bureaucrats in his home state Jharkhand have “gone out of control”. Sahay who is also an MP from Ranchi told media recently that there is a need to tighten the noose on those bureaucrats who have become autocrats after Jharkhand came under President’s Rule.

The Congress leader was provoked by the latest diktat of Jharkhand government withdrawing facilities provided to former chief ministers. Such facilities include bungalows in Ranchi, vehicles and fuel, personal secretaries and other perks. The alliance partner of the Congress, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P) has also expressed its unhappiness over the Governor’s Advisory Council decision of withdrawing the facilities of former chief ministers. JVM leader Babulal Marandi is one of the politicians who would be impacted by the latest decision.

A retired IAS-IPS combo, 1973 batch IAS officer Wilfred Lakara and 1970 batch IPS officer Rajiv Ranjan Prasad are acting as advisors for Jharkhand Governor. The political leaders have also cited the large-scale transfer of bureaucrats, about 300 officials including 65 IAS and IPS, as unnecessary.

Also Read

Minister Trivedi says kids would do better than his bureaucrats

A tussle with bureaucrats over Rs 140-cr project 

Action and Appointments

a) BC Khatua, a 1976 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS has been appointed as chairman, Forward Markets Commission, on re-employment and contract basis, on the existing terms and conditions, for a period of one year with effect from August 1, 2010. As It came on his birthday, the one-year extension has been termed by many as a birthday gift from the government.

b) Anita Chaudhary, a 1976 batch Haryana cadre IAS has taken over as the secretary in the department of land resources under the ministry of rural development.

Dinesh Trivedi-Sujatha Rao saga rooted to a Rs 140-crore web project

THE spat between minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi and health secretary K Sujatha Rao had its origin in a Rs 140-crore proposed project for creating a web portal. The Trinamool Congress leader announced creating such a vast project after consultations with national knowledge commission chief Sam Pitroda in November 2009, but he later found that the secretary was not clearing his project.

As it turned out later, such a project with huge financial implications can’t be sanctioned by the secretary, and it needed to be sent to the ministry of finance for approval. Mr Trivedi’s anger and frustration over the delay forced him to come out openly and criticize Ms Rao and other bureaucrats of red-tap. Mr Trivedi in a television interview termed Indian bureaucrats “ineffective” and suggested the need for secretary level officers to visit villages with Members of Parliament to have some sense of accountability.

Action and Appointments

Both the departments of higher education  and school education have created two posts at the level of additional secretary. In fact, Sunil Kumar, a 1979 batch Chandigarh cadre IAS has been appointed as additional secretary in the department of higher education whereas Ms Anita Kaul, a 1979 batch Karnataka cadre IAS has been appointed as additional secretary I the department of school education and literacy.

Minister Dinesh Trivedi says college kids would do better in health ministry than bureaucrats

IN WHAT could be described as the harshest criticism of bureaucracy by an Indian politician in a television interview during recent time, minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi, a senior Trinamool Congress leader, termed Indian bureaucrats “ineffective” and suggested the need for secretary level officers to visit villages with Members of Parliament to have some sense of accountability.
He went ahead to say that college kids would run the health ministry better than the bureaucrats. (Read: Who is India’s health secretary K Sujatha Rao?)

“Why do we have to wait for the CBI to unearth them (about scams like Medical Council of India)? Where is the accountability for bureaucracy? Politicians are accountable as they have to go back to the people,” he said in an interview with CNN-IBN news channel.

And that’s not all. Mr Trivedi further said that bureaucrats are not innovative, and that’s a major roadblock. “They don’t understand technology. Young people fresh out of college would be able to run the health ministry better that these bureaucrats,” he said.

He also told the news channel that had his senior minister Ghulam Nabi Azad not been pro-active during the H1N1 flu and left it to the bureaucracy, there would not have been any solution to the crisis.

In a report by Indian Express, health secretary K Sujatha Rao was quoted denying the charges and said that Indian bureaucracy “was among the most scrutinised in the world” and charges of red-tapism couldn’t stand.

The report further investigated to find that the conflict between the Trinamool Congress leader and health secretary Ms Rao arose over a concept note sent by Trivedi for a web portal that he, along with the Knowledge Commission, proposed to launch. The ministry did not release money for the portal.

Also Read 

Bureaucracy bashing as a fashion statement

BoI survey on Indian bureaucracy: Fractured verdict

Western media on Indian bureaucracy

Action and Appointments

a) National Security Advisor, Shivshankar Menon will be visiting Beijing as Special Envoy of the Prime Minister of India, from 3rd to 6th July, 2010.

b) ACC has also approved the appointment of Jayant Prasad, a 1976 batch IFS as special secretary in the ministry of external affairs.

c) Arun Kumar Misra, a 1976 batch UP cadre IAS, presently Principal Adviser, Planning Commission, has been appointed as secretary department of drinking water and sanitation in the ministry of rural development

d) Bijoy Chatterjee, a 1973 batch West Bengal cadre IAS and secretary in the department of chemicals and petrochemicals in the ministry of chemicals and fertilizers will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary, department of fertilizers during the period of absence on leave of S Krishnan, a 1975 batch Uttarakhand cadre IAS from July 10 to July 14, 2010.

Netagiri & babudom: A new set of instructions issued to help officers communicate with MPs

IN YET another tale of Netagiri and babudom, Indian political masters have recently imposed a set of additional instructions on how officers should behave with the Members of Parliament. This set of detailed instructions issued recently on the conduct of government servants in official dealings and correspondence with the Members of Parliament are in addition to the provisions in the Conduct Rules, and the Manual of Office Procedure, minister of state for parliamentary affairs & planning V Narayansami said in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Though the details of the instructions were not mentioned in the minister’s reply, it was added that the need for observance of the instructions was reiterated from time to time as and when felt necessary. The minister further said complaints were received on a few occasions, and they were taken up and pursued with concerned authorities. The names of the officers against whom MPs have complained so far, were not mentioned. In fact, political masters often blame the bureaucrats for non-performance and at times cover up their own inability and corrupt practices by making the officials scapegoats. For bureaucrats, the biggest menace is random transfer which is a major political tool to punish officers and at times even de-motivate them. Aradhana Johri of NACO to participate in Bali conference on AIDS Aradhana Johri, joint secretary, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) and other senior officers will accompany minister of state for health & family welfare Dinesh Trivedi to participate in 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific being held at Bali in Indonesia from 9 – 13 August, 2009. Ms Johri is a 1980 batch IAS from UP cadre and a key official in AIDS control initiative of the government. The theme of the congress is, “Empowering people. Strengthening networks”. Preceding the visit to Bali, Mr Trivedi and his team of officials will visit Yogyakarta of Indonesia on August 7 and 8, 2009 to see the HIV prevention interventions undertaken by NGOs in that island state. Govt wants ST, SC & women Judges in Courts The government favours giving representation to persons from the Bar, belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and from amongst women, who may be suitable for appointment as High Court Judges, minister of law and justice M Veerappa Moily said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday in a written reply. In fact, appointment of Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts is made under Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution of India respectively, which do not provide for reservation for any caste or class of persons.

Bengal officers look for greener pastures outside Left bastion

THE sixth Pay Commission and the current economic uncertainty might have stopped civil servants including senior IAS officers abandoning power corridors and joining the private sector, but the flee of officers particularly from the Left bastion of West Bengal has still been continuing. The difference, however, is that they don’t want to leave the government altogether, but want greener pasture somewhere outside the state. The latest case, as has been reported in a section of media, is the 1988 batch IAS and secretary of animal resources M V Rao, who has joined as the deputy director, National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh happens to be Mr Rao’s home state. He had earlier served as managing director of West Bengal Industrial Development Council (WBIDC). According to media reports, P R Baviskar too had requested the government to send him on deputation to his home state, Maharashtra. In fact, political upheavals at Singur and Nandigram and the subsequent events there made many IAS officers looking for opportunities outside the state. According to reports, industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen and municipal affairs secretary P K Pradhan have also expressed their desire to get out of the state. In fact, personal secretaries to Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, minister of state for shipping Mukul Roy and minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi are all IAS officers of West Bengal cadre. Families of armed forces sensitized on menace of spying Regular awareness programmes are being conducted to sensitize members of Armed Forces and their families regarding the threat perception and modus operandi being adopted by the adversaries, as a number of spying cases carried out by Pakistan-based intelligence agencies were detected. During 2006 to 2009 (till now), eight such cases were registered and seven serving personnel were arrested. And nine serving personnel of the defence forces were either convicted or dismissed, defence minister A K Antony said in Lok Sabha on Monday.