PROF S.K.BHALLA
While going through a write-up in a national daily I came across the words that constitute the title of today’s post. Actually it is a movement launched by someone that “Spreads the good word to those officers prepared to listen and innovate so that the end users would benefit”. It is a movement that focuses on public service and should be emulated by all states and UTs. There are many of my ex-colleagues in J&K who are honest but toothless; so justice to the people who are pining for someone to lead is elusive. We have also in our society some people who silently work and even appreciated. They may not utter a word but they get noticed. The complete story is in a daily and you may browse your net if possible.
It is a tragedy that in our UT good people don’t unite. This week only a retd. CE landed at my place. Rs. 2.00 Lakh of that gentleman is stuck up somewhere. He met the concerned Director and even the lady officer who has to process the file. The Director has the pretentions of an honest man but performance zero. When I told him that a formal complaint against the lady must be lodged, Mr. Bali remained silent. Lodging a complaint against a lady would be a deadly sin. He also raised the problem of raised level of the road in front of the houses of so many people leading to the entry of the water during rainy season. Being an engineer fully conversant with the matter he was advised to accompany me to the concerned office for the education of the officer/s occupying the hot seat. Again he was silent and told me that he spends most of the time in spiritual practices.
If this is the attitude of our educated people then who will bell the cat.
Yesterday I landed in the office of Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, AEE PHE Bakshi Nagar Jammu @ supply of water to a casual employee of JMC. The officer was surrounded by a couple of his subordinates and all of them were busy with their cell phones. I had to put my foot down to stop the conversation so that the point could be registered. Anyhow, he instructed the concerned JE to deliver shortly. There was no computer and photo state facility in the office. Forcefully I told him that the Govt. is talking about Digital India but your office is starved of basic electronic gadgets. Woh detae Nahi Hain. Dot came the reply. Dear, you must not have requisitioned. Andar Ki baat wohi janae.
Through the columns of this post, I shall request Principal Secretary to L-G Mr. Niteshwar Kumar to ensure the installation of a computer, printer and photo state facility in the personal chamber of Mr. Sanjeev Gupta so that he could set his house in order. It now appears that some good Samaritans shall have to go in for crowd funding so that the offices lacking the basics are strengthened from the monies generated from the citizens. The aforesaid are 02 illustrations of the working of our UT in the 75th year of our independence.
Satayameva Jayate!
(The author of the article is a retired Principal of J&K Higher Education Deptt and an eminent Anti corruption crusader as well as Chairman of Civil Vigilance Cell)