Showing posts with label income. Show all posts
Showing posts with label income. Show all posts

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Top Official Decries 'Colonial Mindset' in Governance

By Express News Service - HYDERABAD    |    Published: 15th May 2014 09:55 AM
Last Updated: 15th May 2014 09:58 AM

Despite the efforts of the government to remove bottlenecks by adapting new technologies, governance in the country still smacks of a ‘colonial mindset’ where the government is mistrustful of its citizens, Sanjay Kothari, secretary, Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, has said.

Delivering the fourth foundation day lecture of the Centre for Innovations in Public Systems (CIPS), at the Administrative Staff College of India here on Wednesday, he said, “This trust deficit has resulted in major bureaucratic hurdles like numerous affidavits and need for a gazetted officer’s signature that a citizen has to obtain before receiving a certificate from the concerned official.”

Expressing concern over red tape in governance, he said, “Although the fact remains that we are an independent nation for more than 60 years, even today we still use archaic tools of governance. In a nutshell, we are a modern government still using the circulars of 1950s-style, or rather 1850s-style. The time has come to bring a sea change and simplify the governance and keep it citizen-centric.”

Further, he called for re-engineering in issuing caste, income and residential certificates. “One does not understand the insistence of the government to know the income of a person before giving him an income certificate because for the large section of poor who remain in unorganised sector, it is difficult to assess their own income. Even the officials know this, but continue to do it. Similarly, efforts should be made to provide caste and domicile certificates at school level through the headmaster,” he explained.

Listing out initiatives the Centre is likely to take up, he lamented Class-I officers of All India Services remaining aloof to the issues on the ground.

Source: The New Indian Express

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Blogger's opinion:

It is about time Indian Administration Service chastises Government to discontinue practice of submitting income, caste and domicile certificates issued by Karnam, Munsubdar and Tehsildar. In Villages get a certificate from Karnam, it is then countersigned by Munsubdar. Take it to Tehsil's office, now called Mandal, and get Tehsildar's signature. Then only it is official for admission to institutions of higher education, fee concessions (FC, BC, Other, SC, ST), applying welfare scholarships etc.,

Income, caste and domicile information exists already in School Leaving Certificates. Why do we need a certificate from local officials? This is duplication of process and it is about time for Government to repeal.
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