With implementation of seventh pay commission recommendations, the Jammu and Kashmir government employees were happier than their counterpart in the rest of India. Barring a temporary deferment by the announcement of Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti that the seventh pay commission implementations are being deferred for the time being for now, the state employees will get the higher pay packages with arrears sooner than later when Kashmir centric rhetoric will tease the central leadership.
The state employees will be more than willing to identify with India to claim for higher pay packages while a majority of them, with similar mindset as of their political leaders, often resist anything Indian into Jammu Kashmir. The latest pay commission wants civil servants to focus on ‘outcomes, not processes,' and be ‘more accountable for delivery.' Further, it wants them to be `agents of change.' Indeed, even the senior most civil servants are unlikely to have read any other part of the pay commission report barring that pertaining to the pay-scale revisions. The ethos and culture of civil services revolves around pay and perks to the virtual exclusion of everything else, including performance, outcomes, delivery et al.
Politicians are blamed for anything and everything that goes wrong. But often the fault lies with the permanent executive. The so-called steel or rather junked frame of our country in general and of Jammu Kashmir in particular, that is, the IAS/IPS, KAS/KPS, Technocrats, Medicos, hierarchy down below and various subordinate services being in the same boat. But it is in the nature of things that politicians must carry the can for those who are supposed to be answerable to them, namely, the police and the civil services. Indeed, not an insignificant share of the blame actually lies with the permanent executive for the rot that you see all around.
Given that the pay cheque is guaranteed at the end of the month regardless of what they do or do not do, permanent employees and officers have become a law unto themselves. Ministers come and go but the this structure can play hooky, be as lackadaisical in their jobs as possible and yet both seniority and pay-rise is assured, linked as these are to the number of years they put into service rather than the quality of performance. Any effort to change that ironclad system is bound to fail. That is why we are not hopeful that the governments at the Centre and state will be able to truly link pay to performance for civil servants.
In case of Jammu Kashmir, least said the better. While the work culture in wanting, by and large in most of the departments, various anomalies, political and climatic vagaries have further collapsed the public services delivery system. Absenteeism and less working hours in the government departments including health and educational centres in rural and remote areas are most common to say. Unproductive working hours can also be attributed to cold weather conditions, different office timings in different regions, remoteness and officers' callous attitude. For example, officers and employee in Jammu Kashmir secretariat are most privileged ones. Besides many perks and privileges, they enjoy most of the year (365 days) on holidays at both the capitals in rotation of Jammu and Srinagar. They have 104 Sundays and Saturdays and nearly 44 guaranteed holidays on account of festivals and politically marked days. The days of Hartal, Bandh, employees' strikes are in bonus.
In sphere of corrupt practices, the Babus facilitate the process from top to bottom while corrupt politician presides over the system. As they say, without a corrupt and/or spineless bureaucrat there can be no corrupt minister. If bureaucrats insist on rules and norms to be followed, it will be hard for venal ministers to misuse power for making money. Unfortunately, conformity and compliance stemming from a desire to get promotions, plum postings and post-retirement sinecures dictate the behavior of officials.
Therefore, implementing the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission that seeks to link pay and promotion to performance will remain on paper, though the government has promised to implement it.
Babus, it should not be forgotten, constitute the strongest of trade unions. Every pay commission has expressed similar sentiments but the only part that is put into practice concerns the pay revisions. The ethos and culture of civil services revolves around pay and perks to the virtual exclusion of everything else, including performance, outcomes, delivery, et al. Change is contingent on a bold and determined political executive.
If the government wants the top bureaucracy to become responsible and result-oriented, it can do no better than to open up the top echelons to outsiders. Proven experts from various fields can be hired for filling responsible positions in concerned ministries. Life-long security of service is the main cause of irresponsible and inefficient civil services. Change that and you bring about a perceptible improvement in the culture of state bureaucracy. Has the government the guts to do that? No, we are afraid.
