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?

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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).

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.

A tribute to Gopi Arora: babuz of Rajiv Gandhi era

CALL him babuz of Rajiv Gandhi's PMO, wielding enormous clout and influence in Raisina Hill of late 1980s. Gopi Arora, 76, whose tenure as special secretary in PMO was quite eventful and at times even controversial, died on Thursday. The cremation is taking place on Saturday. Apart from being the special secretary in the PMO, he was also the secretary of information and broadcasting (I&B) at a time when Doordarshan and All India Radio were the only powerful electronic media in India. Babuz is a newly coined word describing smart, powerful and influential bureaucrats who make a difference in policy formulation. He played an important role in handling the Punjab crisis and was the man behind crafting the Rajiv-Longowal accord (1985) in Punjab and Assam Accord (1985). Mr Arora, who was spotted by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an efficient bureaucrat, had a pro-Moscow and pro-Left leanings like most other civil servants of that era. Many a time, Rajiv Gandhi was Prime Minister of India in 1980s relied on Arora more than his politician colleagues for which many influential political leaders of the time tried to maintain good rapport with Arora. Arora's thoughts and strategic moves found place in many of Rajiv Gandhi's speeches, and it is said in the power corridor that he was the man behind the populist, left-leaning Congress Working Committee (CWC) resolution following the Bofors’ revelations. No wonder, he was later dragged in by the CBI on the Bofors case. The man who had the high point as the special secretary in the PMO later moved to IMF as India's representative. Read: babuz no 1: Pulok Chaterji is India’s most powerful bureaucrat (August 17, 2009) babuz no 2: TKA Nair is India’s second most powerful bureaucrat (August 18, 2009)

Action & Appointments a) P J Mathew, a 1983 batch IA& AS has been appointed as joint secretary (finance) in the department of space for a period of five years from the date of assumption of charge of the post or until further orders. b) Ms K Sujatha Rao, a 1974 batch AP cadre IAS and secretary in the department of health and family welfare in the ministry of health and family welfare will hold additional charge of the post of secretary, department of health research, ministry of health and family welfare, during the period of leave of Dr V M Katoch from 31st October, 2009 to 12th November, 2009. c) Central deputation tenure of Vinod Kumar Thakral, a 1982 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS and joint secretary in the ministry of mines has been extended for a period of three months beyond November 3, 2009.

Jobs at UIDAI: Nilekani needs additional DGs in eight cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad

THE government has issued a circular asking for applications from suitable candidates to fill up posts of additional director general (ADG) at the level of deputy secretary or director, in the offices of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) under the Planning Commission. The posts are located in eight cities --- Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ranchi, Guwahati, Bangalore and Hyderabad. The officers at the deputy secretary or director level who are eligible to work at the Centre under the Central Staffing scheme could apply. The applicants should identify the locations where he wants to place his candidature. The nominations for the posts should reach in four weeks of the issue of the circular which is September 25, 2009. Read: TKA Nair's advice to Nilekani on govt projects (Sep 16, 2009) 1978 batch IAS R S Sharma appointed UIDAI DG (July 17, 2009) Action & Appointments a) P J Thomas, a 1973 batch Kerala cadre IAS and presently secretary in the ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has been appointed as India’s next telecom secretary in place of S Behura, his batch-mate from UP cadre, who is retiring on 30th September, 2009. b) Ms Jayati Chandra, a 1975 batch UP cadre IAS, and presently secretary, department of youth affairs in the ministry of youth affairs and sports, has been appointed as secretary, ministry of development of North Eastern region (Doner) in place of Jarnail Singh, a 1974 batch Manipur-Tripura cadre IAS, who is retiring on 30th September, 2009. c) The government has approved the proposal of the 13th Finance Commission for extension of Central deputation tenure of V Bhaskar, a 1981 batch AP cadre IAS and B S Bhullar, a 1986 batch UP cadre IAS, who are presently working as joint secretaries in the 13th Finance Commission for a period of three months beyond October 31, 2009 or until further orders. d) The competent authority has approved the following additional charge arrangements for a period of three months with effect from 1st October, 2009 or until further orders, whichever is earlier:- (i) K Sujatha Rao, IAS(AP, 1974), secretary, department of health and family welfare, will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary, department of AIDS control under the ministry of health and family welfare. (ii) Sindhushree Khullar, IAS(UT, 1975), secretary, department of sports will hold the additional charge of the post of secretary, department of youth affairs under the ministry of youth affairs and sports. e) The Competent Authority has approved premature repatriation of S N Misra, IDAS (1979), presently working as joint secretary in department of defence production, to his parent cadre of availing benefit of promotion to the Higher Administrative Grade in IDAS.

A possible strike by Air India pilots may play spoilsport for Indian bureaucrats' vacation during this festive season

IF YOU have planned a vacation during this festive season to claim LTC (Leave Travel Concession), this piece of news is bound to disturb you. Four hundred Air India pilots are now threatening to go on mass leave in protest against up to 50% reduction in their productivity-linked incentives (PLIs). The impact could be worse than that of the recent Jet Airways strike if junior pilots of the national carrier too join their seniors who now say that they were not consulted before the management had decided to reduce their incentives, media reports said. For government employees, the strike could be a disaster as many officers might have booked their family vacations for the coming Diwali season only in Air India after the government had issued a directive saying that LTC could be claimed if one takes an Air India flight. Significantly, Arvind Jadhav, the Managing Director of NACIL, the company that runs Air India, is himself an IAS of 1978 batch. In a related development, the Air India is now looking for a Chief Operating Officer (COO) for which the company has given advertisements in leading financial dailies abroad. Read, Know Your Babu: Arvind Jadhav, posted on May 4, 2009 Also read, Officials must travel by Air India to claim LTC, clarifies DoPT, July 28, 2009 Action & Appointments a) Ms K Sujatha Rao, a 1974 batch Andhra Pradesh cadre IAS, is the country’s new health secretary. She is currently serving as secretary, department of AIDS control under the ministry of health and family welfare. She has been appointed in place of Naresh Dayal, a 1972 batch UP cadre IAS who is retiring on September 30, 2009. b) Ms Rani Jadhav, a 1970 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS (retired) has been appointed as chairman of Tariff Authority for Major Ports for a period of five years or until 65 years of age or until further orders. c) Ms Maya S Sinha, a 1981 batch IRS, Deputy Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust will not be entitled to a total deputation period of 7 years. Her tenure may be terminated on October 19, 2009. d) J Lhungdim, IDAS (84) has been appointed as Planning Advisor in the North-Eastern Council (NEC) secretariat (joint secretary level) at Shillong, Meghalaya under the ministry of development of North-Eastern Region (DONER). e) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the repatriation of S V Ranganath, a 1975 batch Karnataka cadre IAS, presently Member (Finance), Space Commission, Atomic Energy Commission and Earth Commission to his cadre. f) Ms Leena Nandan, a 1987 batch UP cadre IAS, presently working as joint secretary, ministry of tourism, has been appointed as Project Director to the Host Broadcaster Team in Doordarshan in the Pay Band of Rs 37400-67000 (PB 4) plus grade pay of Rs 10,000 up to March 31, 2011. g) T K Pandey, a 1987 batch Orissa cadre IAS will now be a Joint Secretary in the Planning Commission in the vacancy of R Sridharan in modification of the earlier order of the ACC dated 23rd June, 2009 for appointment of Mr Pandey as DDG, UIDAI under the Planning Commission. h) The tenure of BV Wanchoo, a 1976 batch IPS as Director, Special Protection Group has been extended for a period of one year beyond September 28, 2009 or until further orders. i) Ms K Ganga, IA&AS of 1981 batch 81 has been appointed as Deputy Director General, in the Unique Identification Authority of India (joint secretary level) under the Planning Commission for a period of five years. j) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the ministry power, for premature repatriation of Jayant S Kawale, a 1981 batch Maharashtra cadre IAS, presently working as joint secretary in that ministry, to his parent Cadre subject to the condition of ‘extended Cooling-off’.