Nothing reveals the state of India’s system of governance than the fact that Punjab had a minister for a non-existent department. It took over two decades for this truth to come to light. It has proven an embarrassment for the incumbent AAP Minister ‘in-charge’ of the department, Kuldeep Dhaliwal, for it seems he remained unaware of the reality for twenty months. Is it not usual for a minister to hold immediate meetings of his departmental officials on taking over? Was he being given the run around by his subordinates, or was there some profit in keeping the matter under wraps?
This is not the first such case by any means nor will it be the last. From time to time, anomalies have come to light, with people holding jobs created in the British era whose relevance had ended long ago. This is because of a bloated bureaucracy that is not under the required scrutiny, particularly at a time when many politicians and ministers have had little administrative experience before coming to power. (AAP ministers are anyway establishment outsiders.)
Before a situation arises that leads to a US DOGE like purge, audits should be undertaken of how government departments function and if they are clear about their duties and objectives. It is not that there should be concern about the numbers employed, but whether each employee is worth the salary paid. If they are productive, they can only be an asset. If, however, they are doing dead-end jobs that are not required or are unproductive, the necessary reform should be introduced.
A state like Uttarakhand faces even more of a challenge in this regard, because of the tough conditions in the hills. Most government employees wish to work in the plains and over the years manage to drop anchor there, while those in the hills focus mostly on getting out. This is why there are severe shortages of employees in the hills, such as doctors, teachers and technical staff. It cannot be stated that there is an effective spread of the workforce from the point of view of the state’s needs. There is no doubt that the administrative structure needs a relook not just in Uttarakhand, but the entire country.
