This year this event is being held in Bhopal. The activities are meant to give the officials happy moments and energy for the rest of 364 days. In foreign countries particularly England, the Prime Minister leaves the official residence, 10 Downing Street, compulsorily for three days. From ministers to top bureaucrats don’t perform any duty during this period. In the same way, the Bhopal event envisages three days of fun plus the inaugural programme, devoted for some serious thinking.

This year’s inaugural programme was also unique. Two important sessions gave the officials the opportunity to express their candid views, which they used to postulate the role of political bosses as well as theirs in serving the people and the nation. While inaugurating the meet, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked the IAS officers “to sink differences and serve the nation”. He said IAS is not a job but a mission to serve the nation and the people.

“I say there should be a respectable distance between officers and public representatives. But, I welcome all. Even a Class IV employee can share his views. There should not be lack of communication. There are groups among IAS officers. There should not be differences among officers and public representatives,” Chouhan said.

The chief minister lauded the work of the bureaucracy and said that bureaucracy in Madhya Pradesh is one of the best in the country. He called upon the officers to be ready for any challenge “without any reservation” and expressed his commitment for all possible support in their public endeavours. “A collector can make a big change in his district through innovations and initiatives. A superintendent of police can make criminals run for their lives,” Chouhan said, adding that sadly some officers do not want to take the initiative and discourage others from taking any step either. They are a burden on the state, he said.

Emphasising the government’s ambitious plans, Chouhan said the Bhawantar scheme has made a “remarkable beginning in changing the lives of farmers after officials succeeded in overcoming the initial hiccups”. Ekatm Yatra and women’s safety are some of the priority areas. “Women security in the state has become a major concern for me these days. Protecting and giving a healthy atmosphere to women is not the sole responsibility of the police. All of us need to have equal participation in it. The government passed death penalty law for rapists of minor girls as human rights are for humans and not devils. We need to create public awareness against gender discrimination and biased attitude of the male-dominated society. Bureaucrats can make a big change in this matter,” Chouhan said. Ekatm Yatra is being organised to spread awareness on teachings of Jagatguru Adi Shankaracharya. The chief minister also urged officials to encourage cashless transactions to promote Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives.

In the past few months Shivraj Singh Chouhan has repeatedly warned officers who don’t perform “I will hang them up side down,” he once said. This caused very serious reaction among the officers. In was a coincidence just a day before this conference that a mayor of Satna town made very serious complaints about the role of officers.

The allegation was so serious that Basant Pratap Singh, chief secretary, making a stout defence of bureaucracy, asserted that they don’t work at the whims of netas but for the benefit and good of the people. He denied that red-tape and unrestrained bureaucracy have taken a toll on development in state.

Singh rejected the popular belief or theory floated about a communication gap between the senior officials and the juniors. Satna mayor Mamta Pandey, who had recently met BJP state chief Nandkumar Singh Chauhan and BJP state in-charge Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, alleged highhandedness by the municipal commissioner of Satna. She also told them that interference by bureaucrats could harm the party and its poll prospects.

Replying to a query on lack of communication between senior and junior babus, the chief secretary said communication between officials has increased and their relations have improved. Earlier, the officials used to maintain a respectable distance with their superior, he conceded. A majority of bureaucrats believe that there is nothing called ‘babudom’ as alleged by some public representatives. The officials fulfill all tasks which are on the priority list of the state government, the chief secretary pointed out. (IPA Service)