Time for bureaucratic reforms

Bureaucracy is considered the steel frame of government through which state decisions are implemented, policies activated and policy objectives achieved. Protecting people’s life and liberty, maintaining law and order, conducting plans and programs, and delivering public services to the doorstep of citizens are major responsibilities of bureaucracy. 

Despite dozens of lapses in both theory and in practice, bureaucracy is inevitable as it performs important roles like delivery of day-to-day services both during normal as well as critical times, from the center to the nooks and crannies of the country. For example, even during the Maoist insurgency, bureaucracy was very much at the people’s doorsteps in the form of the VDC secretary, JT, JTA, health worker and the forester, etc.

The main jobs of bureaucracy are almost always the same. But this important organ of the state is anything but a well-oiled machine. In some segments of the society, service delivery is quite poor, giving rise to questions about “merit-based recruitment procedures”. 

Various commissions constituted to reform bureaucracy have submitted their suggestions and recommendations to the government at different points in time, but the implementation of these inputs has been far from satisfactory, making reforms in bureaucracy a pipedream.

In general, service-seekers feel that power and money—and not due procedures—is what gets you public services and this perception is the root cause of public hatred toward government employees. This leaves the service-seeker with no other option than doing what the employee tells you to get desired services, even if it means ignoring relevant rules and regulations. 

But these old ways should not be acceptable. Accountability, integrity and transparency must be maintained at all levels by upholding the right to information. Administration should be compatible to address changing demands of service-seekers in the wake of changes in political, economic, socio-cultural and technological spheres.

Uniting diverse cultures and binding people of different castes and colors living within a sovereign territory is the most important government function, which is executed through the administrative machinery. Truly, administration does not only deliver public services; in fact it delivers democracy to the people.

Dilemmas galore

Politicization of bureaucracy and bureaucratization of politics is a big obstacle in the path of bureaucratic reforms. Political leaders often indulge in bureaucratic tasks instead of bothering to formulate appropriate policies and laws, while public servants do politics to reap financial benefits and undue opportunities. 

Rivalry and unsound competition between and among different services, groups and subgroups within the civil service have created demotivation and frustrations among employees. In terms of monetary benefits, promotion and opportunity to grow, there is no equal opportunity within the civil service. 

The main job of bureaucracy is to serve citizens, but in practice government employees want to lord over the citizens. Facilitation, regulation and promotional role of bureaucracy is necessary to serve citizens better. Quality service delivery will surely strengthen the relationship between the government and the citizens. 

Access to public services often depends on the service-seeker’s political power and financial capacity –the capacity to pay–putting disadvantaged sections of the society at a great disadvantage. 

Through private staff such as private secretary and other intermediaries/intermediary structures, political appointees try to make the service-seeker pay extra money for availing public services, especially in remote areas. 

Employee transfers are almost always questionable, with legal provisions ignored all too often to make space for political power and the power of cash.  

The operational cost of public organizations is extremely high but investment in building and developing human capital is miserable. Procurement of unnecessary and expensive vehicles, machinery, and heavy equipment without identifying need assessment, proper maintenance plan and estimation of economic capability of the country has been causing a steep rise in public spending in the unproductive sector. 

Extremely low salary and paltry perks, including financial benefits, is one of the main reasons behind corruption in bureaucracy. While the blame for a low severance package goes on the “limited capacity of the state”, a chosen few employees often get unlimited opportunities to earn through the backdoor. 

Inefficiency and ineffectiveness are another source of public hatred toward bureaucracy. It is compared to winning a battle to get public services without hassle-free manners. Political leaders and powerful persons have been receiving public services by enforcing power rather than obeying the system. Such practices have been encouraging service providers to enforce monopoly and discrimination against the grassroots.

Low morale and diminishing loyalty toward occupation are the ugly products of unequal opportunities to grow, weak reward and punishment system, over-politicization, discrimination between and among different services, groups and sub-groups. 

In a short period of time, corrupt politicians and employees have amassed huge wealth (as if by magic) whereas the honest lot is at the receiving end in various walks of life. Time has come to prohibit commercialization and bureaucratization of politics and politicization of business and bureaucracy for national prosperity.

Views are personal