The Month Reviewed

Management Councils

Even the modest recommendations of the

Central Pay Commission, when implemented, are likely to make a big hole in the Union Government's budget. When the concessions contemplated for the Central Services, are extended to the State Governments' and Local Bodies' services, which sooner or later and to a certain extent is inevitable, the cost is likely to assume astronimical proportions. The Union Government would be hard put to it to find resources to meet the likely commitment. It would be difficult to defer the pay increases, recommended by the Commission, in view of the steep rise in the cost of living. That the possible pay increases would not go a long way in mitigating the hardship caused by the spiralling prices of the necessities of life, is also obvious, as is also the fact that a wholesale pay increase of about six million Government employees in the country is bound

to give a further fillip to the inflationary forces at work. All these factors, the Pay Commission, must have taken note of, in making their recommendations.

The report of the Pay Commission has not yet been published, though its broad recommendations are now known. There is no mention, however, in the latter of the need for creation of any agency in which the employers and employees could participate for dealing with such questions in an atmosphere of give-and-take and against the background of the national interest. The experience of the U. K., Canada and other countries, who are credited with possessing an efficient system of public administration, confirms that such an agency is of great help in giving to the employees the right kind of attitude. From being mere employees and mercenaries they become the participants in the business of their country's government. This position of responsibility leads to moderation and promotion of national interest, along side with the interest of the class of employees.

The Government of India have been warned in the past of the need of establishing their employees would have their rightful responsible Management Councils in which

share. This advice for some reasons the Government have found difficult to accept. The State Governments too have not taken any progressive step in this direction. A big vacuum exists, therefore. It is likely to lead to serious complications when questions of pay increase, working hours, and efficiency promotion techniques are to be tackled on some scale. The need for establishing Management Councils in the various Services of the Union Government and those of the State Governments cannot, therefore be

overemphasised.

Simplicity and Economy

Prime Minister Nehru has again written to the State Chief Ministers and the Union

Ministers about the need for eschewing pomp austerity. He had addressed them on the and show and for practising economy and subject a couple of years ago and this had brought forth some response which, unfortunately, proved to be short-lived. Much valuable time of those concerned in the administration continues to be spent in purely ceremonial matters, including attending to the VIPs., whose number continues to grow larger. larger. Apart from other considerations, the Prime Minister in his latest communication has rightly pointed out, there is now a Progressive resentment in the public about anything that might be considered showy in regard to the Ministers. from State to State, but it can be said, without fear of contradiction, that the amount of show and fuss made about the Ministers and other VIPs is not justified on public grounds. The deterioration in administration is partly the result of more attention being paid to show and ceremony, than to detailed work and concrete achievements. The security arrangements made in connection with the VIPs are far in excess of what

Traditions vary

the actual conditions and the object of security demand. The object of the security arrangement should be to provide security where needed, not ostentation of authority, which in many cases becomes the primary object. The security arrangements certainly need not necessarily be showy if they are meant to be genuine.

Both the President and the Prime Minister as well as some Chief Ministers have spoken about the need for simplicity and economy by Ministers and the Ministries, but both remain elusive. Serious efforts will be needed if the present thinking on the subject is to be translated into practice.

District Administration

In these columns in the previous three months have been publised the main recom

mendations of the "Report on District Revenue Offices" in Bombay State. It is gratifying that the Bombay Government, which has again earned from the Prime Minister the encomium of being the best administered State (with Madras bracketed with it), has lost no time in taking the follow-up action. The Chief Minister Mr. Y. B. Chavan, told a conference of the Collectors of the 43 districts of the State on September 14 that a three-man committee has been appointed to consider the recommendations of the Pimputkar Report and its report would be available to Government within two months. The importance of making administrative machinery at district level more efficient and effective cannot be overstressed. That there has been fall in the standards of administration at the district level is also obvious. The District Collectors find themselves overburdened with