How “happy” employees are turning Chhattisgarh Housing Board into a national success

Borah speaking at a function at Naples, Italy

EARLY this year, a group of students from Delhi-based premier institute, School of Planning and Architecture, were amazed to spot some quality architecture at Naya Raipur, the new capital city of one of the youngest Indian states, Chhattisgarh. As the students interacted with Sonmoni Borah, a 1999 batch IAS and commissioner of Chhattisgarh Housing Board that built those houses, they realised…

Denied At Home, Won Abroad: Chhattisgarh IAS wins award in South Korea

CALL it a story of an IAS officer who lost his battle, but won a war. Nine months ago, Sonmoni Borah, a 1999 batch Chhattisgarh cadre IAS, reached an award function in Raipur only to realize that his name was deleted at the last moment from the list of winners of Shahid Veer Narayan Singh Award. But Borah, who has won the prestigious award of excellence in MGNREGA administration twice in a row, has recently received yet another award in South Korea.

The award was given by Korean Development Institute (KDI), the leading think-tank of Korean government which conducted a programme for 94 IAS officers in collaboration with DoPT and the LBSNAA, Mussoorie. KDI’s president Oh-Seok Hyun presented Borah the award in recognition of his progressive participation during the programme activities and commitment in promoting the atmosphere of prosperity during the Korea exposure visit.

The recognition of bureaucrats by credible organizations and government institutions now help in career growth after Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) decided last year to include awards, citations, articles, books etc. in the Executive Record Sheets, or ER sheets of IAS.

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Sabotage by fellow IAS officers

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Global Window: Russia may reduce its bureaucracy by 20%

Russia may reduce the number of state employees by the next financial and may cut the country’s bureaucracy by whopping 20% in the next three years, a report in Wall Street Journal said. The country’s number of bureaucrats has swelled by 80% since the beginning of the decade. Under the plan, the number of state employees would be reduced by 5% in 2011, another 10% in 2012 and by the proposed 20% by 2013, according to the report.

IAS officers reportedly sabotage a fellow IAS receiving a prestigious state award of Chhattisgarh

A LAST minute decision of debarring public servants from receiving state awards by the Chhattisgarh government forced an IAS officer to face the humiliation of reaching an award venue only to return empty handed. A Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer of 1999 batch Sonmoni Borah reached an award function in state capital Raipur on November 1 only to realise that his name was deleted at the last moment reportedly at the behest of a few senior IAS officials close to chief minister Raman Singh. Shahid Veer Narayan Singh Award, which is conferred every year on the state’s Foundation Day, was earlier received by an IPS officer Ramesh Sharma, now IG of Bilaspur. Mr Borah, the Bilaspur district collector, was selected for this year's Shahid Veer Narayan Singh Award for his “exemplary service in the field of development” among tribal and backward communities by a committee under the chairmanship of Sohan Potai, a tribal MP from Kanker and four other tribal MLAs. Significantly, diktat from the Chhattisgarh government came at a time when Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), which maintains the profiles of IAS officers, has decided to include awards, citations, articles, books etc.in the Executive Record Sheets, or ER sheets of IAS. Sources said that Borah’s name was deleted at the last moment following a section of senior civil servants of the state raising an objection and conveying their views to chief minister Raman Singh who was then in South Africa.

Home secretary Pillai leaves for Kathmandu today for high level talks The Union home secretary G K Pillai is leaving for Kathmandu today for home secretary level talks between India and Nepal. The talks will be held on the 6th and 7th October. During his visit, Mr Pillai is likely to call on the Prime Minister and Home Minister of Nepal. The last home secretary level talks between the two countries were held on 31st October and 1st November, 2008 in New Delhi. Action & Appointments a) D R Meena, ILS, presently additional secretary, department of legal affairs, has been appointed as secretary department of legal affairs for a period of one year from the date of assumption of charge of the post in place of T K Viswanathan, ILS who completed his tenure on 31st October, 2009. b) Ms Kiran Dhingra, a 1975 batch UT cadre IAS and secretary in the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation will hold additional charge of the post of secretary in the ministry of shipping for a period of three months with effect from 1st November, 2009. c) The competent authority has approved the induction of Ashok Tewari, a 1993 batch IPS from Himachal Pradesh cadre as DIG in the CBI for a period of 5 years in accordance with the IPS Tenure Policy, 2000 with effect from the date of his joining in the CBI.