With the constitution of this Board, the former Complaints Board has ceased to exist. Delayed Action Against Defaulters

The Public Accounts Committee, in its second report submitted to the State Vidhan Sabha on October 7, criticised the delay in taking action against defaulting officers. It said: "The result of such delayed action obviously is that defaulters escape punishment and retire peacefully or resign and go after which the department simply records that no action is possible." The Committee observed that "in some case such persons are also promoted to higher posts". It said that a case in which an official had been involved "lingered on" and was "ultimately hushed up." The Committee, therefore, emphasised the need for establishing some independent agency to deal with cases of this nature.

Madras

N. G. O.s Demand More Relief

The Madras Secretariat Association on October 20 passed a resolution urging State Government to announce "a second instalment relief” immediately. Every category of the non-gazetted services, the resolution said, was in sore need of financial relief.

Ban on Bigamous Marriages

The Government of Madrass has added the following new rule to the Government Servants' Conduct Rules: "27A. Bigamous marriages: (1) No Government servant who has a wife living shall contract another mariage without first obtaining the permission of the State Government notwithstanding that such subsequent marriage is permissible under the personal law for the time being applicable to him. (2) No female Government servant shall marry any person who has a wife living without first obtaining the permission of the State Government.' Mysore

New Approach To Administration

.. Mr. N. Rachiah, Mysore's Minister for Agriculture, said in Bangalore on October 23 that he would organise meetings between people's representatives and Government officers for discussing the problems concerning the Department of Agriculture. In what

he called the "new approach to administration", Mr. Rachiah said that he wanted to develop a better understaning between the people and the Government and put the administrative machinery on more efficient lines. The first meeting will be held in Bangalore on November 5. Meetings in district headquarters will follow. The Minister added he would take on-the-spot decisions wherever possible.

Legislative Secretariat. Service

A new cadre has been created for the Legislative Secretariat staff in Mysore. The Chief Minister Mr. B. D. Jatti on October 14 discussed with the Speaker of the Assembly Mr. S. R. Kanthi the proposed reorganisation of the Legislature Secretariat, including whether the new staff should be recruited through Public Service Commission or drawn from other Government departments. It is also planned to give powers to the Secretariat staff to make purchases for the Legislative Secretariat without prior sanction from the Government.

Punjab

Tube-well Deal Inquiry

On a representation from the former Irriation and Power Minister, Mr. Gian Singh Rarewala, the Congress High Command has withheld for the time being its decision on the State Chief Minister's report regarding the tube-well deal. Mr. Pratap Singh Kairon, who personally inquired into the sale of a private tube-well by Mr. Rarewala to the Punjab Government is understood to have held that certain necessary formalities were not observed before the sale was concluded. Mr. Kairon is understood to have expressed the view that the Chief Minister and some senior officiais of the Irrigation Department should have been consulted before the deal was finalised.

Mr. Gian Singh Rarewala is understood to have lodged a protest with the Congress High Command against Mr. Kairon's version of the tube-well deal. He had offered to prove before an impartial authority that Mr. Kairon's report is based on complete distortion of facts and contrary to the circumstances leading to the State acquiring the tube-well from his family estate. He was stated to have

appealed that the tube-well transaction be referred to a Supreme Court Judge and no ex parte verdict be given on the basis of Mr. Kairon's report.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Kairon, had compelled Mr. Rare wala to surrender his portfolios of Irrigation and Power in June last pending an inquiry into the affair. The tube-well, with accessories and a parcel of land, was acquired by the Government for Rs. 21,000. Mr. Kairon because of an undertaking given to the High Command, has furnished his version of the deal after a personal inquiry -lasting over three months. A copy of the Chief Minister's report has also been supplied to Mr. Rarewala. Sources close to Mr. Rarewala allege that the tube-well deal was being unnecessarily highlighted with the ulterior motive of lowering Mr. Rarewala in public

esteem.

Cubs On Public Servants

The State Government has amended the Punjab Government servants' Conduct Rules under which "no Government servant shall participate in any demonstration or resort to any form of strike in connection with any matter pertaining to his or other employees' conditions of service." Another amendment to the Rules makes a Government servant eligible for membership of only that association of Government employees which is approved or recognised by the Government within a period of six menths from its formation.

Police Officers In New Set-up

Mr. N. V. Gadgil, Governor of Punjab, addressing the Punjab Police Officers' annual conference in Chandigarh on October 12 said the policemen should not only protect the life, honour and property of the people, but also become messengers of "courtesy and goodwill". That was the only way by which they could enjoy the people's confidence. The Governor also said that judiciary should be separate from the executive to infuse confidence in the machinery of justice.

Contacts Among State Officers

The Government of Punjab has framed conventions for contacts among officers, both in their official and personal capacity, to promote mutual understanding and apprecia

tion of official as well as personal problems. A junior officers is expected to call on senior officer when the latter is camping at the headquarter of the former. If the senior officer is accompanied by his wife, it would be appropriate for the wife of the junior officer also to call on her. Similarly, an officer should call on all other important officers of the place on first arrival at a station.

Rajasthan

Divisional Commissioners' Role

of

With a view to re-orienting the role of Commissioner to enable him to become programme adviser for planning and development in a real sense, in addition to his continuing to be the chief supervisory and inspecting authority over the Collectors and other Revenue Officers and administration in general, the Government of Rajesthan has issued orders relieving the Commissioners of a large number of routine functions relating to sanctioning of pensions, fixation pay, reallotment of tacavi loans to district and sanctioning revenue refunds and reduc tion of rent. Correspondence on many matters between Collectors and Government, so far routed through the Commissioner, will now go direct to Government, e. g., for allotment of land, sale of Nazul land, boundary cases, civil litigations of Government. He shall not deal with day-to-day problems of law and order. As Programme adviser, the Commissioner will visit a certain number of Panchayat Samities every year, review the departmental programmes, and hold periodic meetings of Divisional Co-ordination Committees. He shall tour for a minimum

period of 100 days in one year (excluding tours outside his jurisdiction), out of which at least 45 days shall be devoted to Development Projects.

Switch-over to Hindi

In pursuance of the recommendation of the Hindi Committee, the Rajasthan Government has directed its various departments to adopt Hindi for the Official work from April 1 next year. In future, all circulars, notifications, orders and advertisements to be issued from the level of the secretariat and heads of departments will, as far as possible, be in Hindi. Barring high court judgements, all judgements of the Board of Revenue and

Court would be written in Hindi. Letters recieved from the Government of India and other States in English will be copied and forwarded as such, in English, but their replies will, as far as possible, be sent in Hindi. Noting on official files in all departments will be done in Hindi and no department in futrure will send any letter to any non-official person in the State in English, except when the contents are legal in nature.

The directive also requires all non-Hindispeaking officers and members of the staff to pass a Hindi examination, equivalent to matric standard, by December 31 this year which would entitle them to an advance increment in pay. In case they fail, their increment in the normal grade will be withheld till they pass the examination. All new entrants to Government services, except Class IV employees, would have to possess knowledge of Hindi and pass an examination in Hindi equivalent to matric standard during his probation period, failing which his services will be liable to termination. Hindi examinations equivalent to the matric and B. A. standard would be recognised in matters of appointment to Government services.

English stenographers and typists, if they pass Hindi shorthand and typing examinations by December 31, 1960, will be entitled to two and one advance increments respectively.

Nathdwara Temple Inquiry

Mr. Sarjoo Prasad, Chief Justice of Rajasthan, constituting one-member Nathdwara Inquiry Commission, in his 237 page report has absolved the Chief Minister, Mr. Mohan Lal Sukhadia, the Revenue Minister Mr. Damodar Lal Vyas and the Commissioner of Udaipur, Mr. S. D. Ujwal, of direct responsibility for the removal of the treasure from Nathdwara temple on December 25, 1957, by Tilkayat Govindlalji. The Commission held the Tilkayat directly responsible for the removal of the treasure, and said that he had completely ignored his holy pedigree and

sacred duties.

The Commission has referred to the criticism of the State Government for giving Government advertisements to a Bombay

Nathdwara treasure find and its surreptitious removal. On February, 1958, the paper gave a report of the incident which took place on December 25, 1957, and blamed the Chief Minister and the Government for it. Thereafter there was no further report in the paper about the incident, but a number of advertisements of the Rajasthan Government appeared in it in March, 1958.

It is suggested, the report said, that these advertisements which were very costly in order to prevent it from making inconveniwere given by way of blackmail to the weekly ent disclosures in connection with the disappearance of the treasure. That such advertisements were given was not denied. The Director of Public Relations, Mr. Bhatt, said that it was done in due course of business.

"Be that as it may, I do not feel very happy about the manner in which this matter of advertisements had been handled by the Government", Mr. Prasad said. He added: "Perhaps, the Government could have shown greater firmness in the matter and refused to offer advertisements to a paper which had unjustifiably cast aspersions on the Chief Minister. It is, however, not unknown that blackmail some newspapers do indulge in and that even innocent persons yield to their threats."

Uttar Pradesh

Pilibhit Colonisatiion Scheme

The Estimates Committeee, in one of the three reports it presented during the last session of the Vidhan Sabha, has examined the expenditure incurred on the Pilibhit Colonisation Scheme. It was a key project with the stupendour recurring expenditure of Rs. 85,50,000 and a non-recurring financial charge of Rs. 75,37,000. The Committee's other reports, dealing with the sugar-cane development scheme and the local Self-Government Engineering Department, traced the devious processes whereby Government Departments expand themselves. The three reports cricicised the mounting administrative expenditure, bad planning involving much extravagance and downright in

eptitude.

The Pilibhit Colonisation Scheme was drawn up by the Collector of that district. Over 10,000 acres of cultivable waste lands between the Sharda and Sutia rivers were to be reclaimed for developing an agricultural colony for the families of landless agriculturists and educated unemployed..

In 1957-58, the actual expenditure on the project came to Rs. 83,345 against a budgetary sanction of Rs. 40,25,700. No one could be settled on the land during the year, nor could any buildings be constructed. The rate of expenditure was low during the subsequent financial year also. Against a budgetary grant of Rs. 27,48,600 for 1958-59, only Rs. 1,79,392 could be expended till December, 1958. The Estimates Committee was told that an amount of Rs. 6,62,908 had been spent in three months from January to March, 1959. The statement that the department had spent in three months four times of what it had done during the previous nine months caused amazement to the Committee. The seasonal spending spree, which overtakes almost all Government departments towards the close of financial years, according to the Committee could be the only explanation of this pheno

menon.

Officers of the colonisation scheme told the Committee that only 1,000 acres had been reclaimed by March last, and that though 100 families could have been settled on this land no one had been given land under this scheme so far. Yet, in 1957-58 and 1958-59, Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 47,600 respectively, had been sanctioned as loans and advances. The Committee discovered that loans had been issued, not to colonisers for whom these were meant, but to a seed store

executed, would yield 2,800 tons of foodgrains.

The Committee wanted to know why the estimated expenditure on the Philibhit scheme was placed at Rs. 85,50,000 when a similar project involving 10,000 acres, in Lakhimpur-Kheri district was expected to cost only Rs. 69,50,000. Looking for probable motives which might have induced the officers to launch such a questionable project, the Committee found that the Centre's assurance of loans and subsidies was one of the main reasons. The Union Government had promised Rs. 13 laks as subsidy and Rs. 36 laks as loan for this project. Having obtained the Centre's word, the authors of the scheme thought that it must be executed, whatever its utility, according to the Committee. The Estimates Committee has recommended the abandonment of the Philibhit Colonisation Scheme. It was wrong to continue the project merely because Rs. 10 laks had already been expended, it said. On the other hand, the Government would save Rs. 75 laks by abandoing it now. Central Government Employees' Demonstration

Nearly 3,000 Central Government employees, posted at Allahabad, observed Demands Day on October 20 by taking out a procession. The call for the observance of the day was given by the Confederation of the Central Government Employees.

West Bengal

Legislators' Emoluments

The West Bengal Legislative Council ..on October 5 passed the Legislators' Emoluments (Amendment) Bill, as passed earlier

But what shocked the Committee most was the revelation that at least 60 percent of the land to be reclaimed was unfit for cultivation of foodgrains. The Deputy Secretary of the Agriculture Department told the Committee that out of 14,780 acres examined so far, hardly 6,000 acres were found to be cultivable. There were also difficulties in the way of acquiring land. The Estimates Committee cast doubts even on the presumption that the scheme, when fully

State Legislators with free travel facilities" "by railway and steamer services to a limit of 3,000 miles a year, in addition to the usual travelling allowance they get for attending the sittings of the legislator. The opposition members, criticising the Bill said the amending measure had been brought forward to corrupt legislators. It was not likely to increase the legislators' efficiency, they said. The Chief Minister said there would be no compulsion and the members could refuse the facilities provided in the Bill.

(Continued on next page)

Pakistan

Poster Plot Case

One of the nine accused in what is known as "the poster plot case", pleaded guilty to the charges framed against him before a military court in Karachi on September 29 when regular hearing of the case began. The accused Bashir Siddiqui, an employee of the Food and Agriculture Ministry, in a confessional statement said he was one of the accused who cyclostyled the leaflets.

Aftab Ahmad Khan, until recently Census -Commissioner of Pakistan and former member of the Pakistan Civil Service, and six other accused, including Sultan Ahmed Khan, a well known businessman and landlord of

(Continued from previous page)

Rs, 2,27,668 To Collect Rs. 940

West Bengal Government had realised only Rs. 940 as water rates from Damodar Valley Corporation areas from 1954 to 1958, after spending Rs. 2,27,668 on pay, allowances and contingencies of a special revenue division set up for the assessment and collection of these rates. This was disclosed in the audit report of the Government's appropriation accounts for 1957-58 circulated to the members of the State Assembly on October 1. The report says: "A substantial amount of the expenditure could have been avoided. if instead of setting up a special revenue division, some neighbouring revenue divisions were entrusted with assessment and collection of anticipated revenue.'

One of the two Dainsh trawlers purchased by the West Bengal Government for deep sea fishing at a cost of Rs. 8.60 laks was out on the sea only for 261 days from 1954 to 1958, while the other vessel ceased going to the sea since 1956. According to the report more than Rs. 2 laks had been spent on repair charges alone during 1956-58 and about Rs. 1.5 laks had been paid as all risks insurance premia till 1956. The objects for which the trawlers were purchased could hardly be achieved as they were lying idle practically throughout the year, the report said.

Karachi, and brother of Aftab Ahmed Khan, were sentenced to ten years rigorous imprisonment each on October 24 by the Special Military Court for attempting to print and distribute leaflets intended to "promote hatred" towards the present regime in the country.

White Paper on Politician Misdeeds

Lt. Gen. K. M. Shaikb, Interior Minister, said in Karachi on October that the White Paper on the misdeeds of former politicians of Pakistan is expected to be issued by the new regime shortly. He said "things were being hurried up" to prepare the White Paper. The White Paper would be of a general nature listing misdeeds in an overall manner. It would not contain individual charge-sheets. Law Commission's Recommendation

The nine-member Law Commission in its

200 page report submitted in September has recommended a reduction in court fees and

effective

administrative arrangements for quicker dispensation of justice at the higher The Commission has also recomlevels. mended the setting up of special summary courts in major cities like Karachi and Lahore.

The proposed summary courts should be empowered to try specified offences under the Pakistan Penal Code and to impose sentences upto two years imprisonment. Special family law courts, one in each district, to deal exclusively with cases relating to marriage and family laws have been suggested.

While the Commission supports the continuance of the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts, it suggests the restriction of the rights of students to file writ__petitions against educational institutions. These cases should be referred to special tribunals presided over by a High Court Judge and including a university Vice-Chancellor among its

members.

The other recommendations of the Commission are: (1) The judiciary should be separated from the executive and District Judges should be under the direct control of the High Court. (2) A Law Revision Commis(Continued on page 53)