When Babus Violate Ethics!

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The government gives fat pay and perks to its babus, yet a section of them is tempted to enjoy more facilities. To get the extra facilities a section of them doesn’t even hesitate to bend the rules, setting a record of sorts for their juniors in the State administration.

It’s no secret that most of the IAS and IPS officers keep up to six/seven bungalow peons/orderlies in their houses for doing their domestic chores. Such babus are entitled to keep bungalow peons/orderlies in their houses/quarters, but certainly not up to six or seven. It is also a fact that a section of the babus allegedly resorts to bending the job regularization rules to favour a section of temporary employees who work in their houses as bungalow peons or orderlies.

According to official sources, the jobs of around 40 bungalow peons/orderlies/khalasis have been regularized recently violating the rules meant for regularization of temporary employees. According to rules, a temporary employee should have the minimum requisite qualification for the post he is engaged and he/she should face a formal interview. However blessed by their babu bosses, these 40 bungalow peons/orderlies/khalasis did not have to face any such procedure in getting their jobs regularized.

Official sources informed that a section of the babus choose some temporary workers from the departments under them for doing their domestic chores. This situation is no different in the case of senior IPS officers who mostly pick up temporary workers to work as orderlies in their bungalows. Such officers make some sort of commitment to the temporary workers of regularizing their jobs, and such a commitment makes these workers work wholeheartedly. There are even allegations that some top IPS officers from outside Assam even send orderlies to their houses in their native States.

The IAS and IPS officers certainly make the creamy layer of the State administration. If the top layer in the administration is tempted to such ‘unauthorized perks’ and do not hesitate to bend the rules to get their own interests served, what examples will they set for their juniors?

The government should spell out in clear terms as to how many bungalow peons/orderlies an officer of a particular rank is entitled to get so as to put an end to such a malpractice. And if any of the babus is found to use more bungalow peons/orderlies than what he/she is entitled to, the extra “temporary” staff should be withdrawn without further delay.

Also Read: Ethics in politics

Also Watch: Torch Relay of 3rd Khelo India Youth Games received by District Administration in Kokrajhar