Specific Measures for Administrative Reform are mentioned below:
1. To promote total transparency in the functioning of government at all levels such as right to information Act. Moreover, the officials and people providing important information are provided protection through measures like ‘Whistleblower Act.
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The area of ‘Secrecy‘ and ‘Confidential’ information must be redefined with reference to their rational basis and their actual consequences.
2. The delay in decision making should be checked. There should be mandatory time frame for decision making. The contingent and arbitrary elements must be eliminated with proper care.
3. To enforce accountability of administrators the committee system should be abolished because it dilutes the responsibility of individual members.
4. Corruption related cases should be speedily disposed. This could be ensured by deciding a time limit for all stages from receipt of complaint to the final disposal.
5. There should be across the country transfer/ posting provision for civil servants. This would be contrary to alignment of political- bureaucratic criminal nexus on grounds of caste, colour, religion, region or language. It will also ensure accountability and integrity in officer because he will not be able to develop vested interest.
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6. The election commission should be made a quasi-judicial administrative body charged with all tasks of conducting election.
It should be given full power to ensure free and fair election. This will ensure that only true representatives are elected and politics is not’ maligned in its sacred ceremony of elections.
7. There is an urgent need to check the growing infiltration of big business houses in the power structure. Money has rendered the power of true leaders obsolete.
The cost of elections should be minimized and even state funding could be promoted to some extent. This will break the alliance growing between capitalists and bureaucrats.
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8. To broaden the social base of bureaucracy, hitherto neglected, poor section should be empowered.
The tribal, women, Dalits and economically weaker section should be provided educational facilities and reservation in government services. This will ward off tension and fill the gulf that has developed between rich and the poor.
9. The regulatory role of the state should have selectively and gradually withdrawn. It will break the coalition that has often damaged the national interest than serving it.
10. Decentralization of decision making administrative structure. The 73rd and 74th Amendment have heralded a new era, but have to go a long way in ensuring effective participation of the people. Today, they are marred by violence, social polarization, enmity and orthodoxy.
11. Empowering the investigating agencies to check administrative corruption. CVC getting a statutory status and power to monitor the work of investigating agencies is an enthusiastic step. But, there remain problems as regards proposal to start suo-motu investigation against higher officials.
12. There is an urgent need to enact the Lok Pal Bill. It will bring the ministers under a scanner. This will have double impact: on the one land it will restrain the corrupt politicians to engage in fish trading and secondly, it will also restrict corruption racket below them. For, civil servants cannot dare to do from what their masters have been banned.
13. To check the nexus between corrupt politicians-bureaucrats and the criminals, there should be an amendment in the Representation of people’s Act. On the basis of national consensus some educational qualification is prescribed for them. Moreover, some strict provision should be introduced, so that they never engage in violent, corrupt or shameful acts.
The administrative system of India that had its origin in the exploitative character of colonial rule, continued to operate in Independent India not surprising, its lust for power and prestige became an end in itself. They continued to inhibit traits of aloofness, exclusiveness and class consciousness. When their interests were endangered, they aligned with politicians and mafias operating in the parts of country.
As a result, the whole edifice of administration started crumbling under its own weight. Country started retreating from the developmental path.
The liberalization and debureaucratization can never be an end in themselves. As long as society exists, there will exist expectations from the government. Bureaucracy has to survive for long time. But, it must mend its ways; otherwise the polity may endanger its existence.