Instill right public service delivery attitude in civil servants: Par panel to govt

Observing that apathy of civil servants in implementation of government schemes is one of the major impediments in delivery of services, a Parliamentary Committee has asked the Centre to instill the right public service delivery attitude in them by strengthening their behavioural competency.

In its report, the panel also recommended the government to bring a scheme for a time-bound delivery of goods and services for citizens, which should include appropriate measures for reward and punishment of government functionaries so that it remains effective.

''The Committee observes that apathy of civil servants in implementation of government schemes/programmes is one of the major impediments in the implementation of government schemes and delivery of services and therefore, recommends DARPG (Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances) to make appropriate programmes and initiatives for instilling right public service delivery attitude in civil servants by strengthening their behavioural competency,'' it said.

Noting that e-Office is one of the key e-Governance reforms brought by the Department in the recent past, the panel said it has helped not only in making the government's work more faster and more efficient, but has also made a marked difference in the decision making process. It has proven its worth during the recent lockdowns due to the Covid pandemic in the work from home scenario.

The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, said the e-office should be implemented in all central government ministries, departments and organisations on a priority basis.

''Proper training on e-Office should be imparted to officials. Every effort must be made to encourage officials to carry out their office work through e-office only,'' the panel said in its report on Demands for Grants 2022-23 pertaining to the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances and Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions).

Further, at an appropriate time, it should be made binding for all government departments and organisations, in a phased manner, to carry out all their official work through e-office only, it said.

As e-office has the potential for making lot of savings for the government in terms of office space, stationery etc., the Committee recommends the DARPG to approach the Finance Ministry, with proper justifications, and seek funds to implement the e-office project on a faster pace in all ministries, the report said.

One of the core purposes of any democratic government is to improve the quality of life of its citizens by making available some basic goods and services in a hassle free and time-bound manner, it noted.

However, the common citizen has to face many difficulties in public offices, the panel said.

Even getting some basic amenities from public offices becomes challenging and tough for a commoner, it said, adding essential services should be streamlined and must be provided to all citizens in a time bound manner.

''The Committee, therefore, recommends the government to bring a scheme for a time-bound delivery of goods and services for citizens,'' the report said.

Initially the scheme may be started by including a few basic services only, which may later be expanded to include other services also, it said.

''The scheme should include appropriate measures for reward and punishment of government functionaries so that it remains effective,'' the report said.

The Committee observed that more than a decade and a half has passed since the second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) was constituted and there have been phenomenal changes in the governance of the country mainly on account of changes in the socio-economic structure and technological revolution and recommends that the DARPG should explore the need for setting up of the third ARC.

It also suggested that the scope and activities of the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) should be made broad based.

The grant-in-aid provided to the institution seems insufficient and accordingly, the Committee recommends the NCGG to work out a detailed future plan to effectively carry out its activities, on the basis of which, it should approach the government for necessary funds, the panel said in the report tabled in Parliament recently.

''In the long run, the government should also evolve a mechanism to ensure that the Centre evolves into a result oriented organisation of global excellence, which is self-sustaining and does not remain dependent on government grants,'' it said.

The panel also recommended that the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare (DPPW) should explore the feasibility of integrating pensioners of all other organisations of central government viz. defence, railways, telecom and postal be brought in within the jurisdiction of the DPPW, by making it a single entity in matters related to pension and pensioners' welfare.

The department may furnish a concept paper in this regard to the Committee, within three months, it said.

The Committee observes that though the name and the mandate of the DPPW suggest its jurisdiction over all central government employees, a large portion of pensioners from defence, railways, telecom and postal are outside its purview.

These organisations also implement similar rules and schemes on the lines of DPPW, it said.

However, this multiplicity of agencies and rules in matters of pension creates confusion and duplicity, the report said.

The Committee further notes that recently the Railway Budget has been integrated with the General Budget and the CPENGRAMS (Centralized Pension Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System) portal has been made common for all these organizations, it said.

There seems to be an approach in the government towards integration and non-duplicity for making optimal utilisation of resources, the report added.