Accountability from the Home ministry
Two initiatives of the home ministry — monthly report card & updated Action plan — are exemplars for other ministries to emulate.
P Chidambaram has done a lot of good things since taking over as the Home Minister of this country in the aftermath of the ghastly terror attack on Mumbai in November 2008. He has spoken at length about restructuring the internal security mechanism in the country, undertaken some bold initiatives on countering the Maoists and enunciated the position of the government rather well. These initiatives, however remarkable they may be, are restricted to the domain of his ministry.
However there are two initiatives of his ministry that really stand out as exemplars which can, and should be emulated by other ministries. The first one is the monthly report card of the home ministry presented by the Union minister and the Home Secretary at the end of each month in front of the national media. It is another matter that the media is more interested in sound bytes and sensationalist stories than in analysing and disseminating the facts and figures contained in the report card.
But it is the second initiative that should be mandatory for all ministries to follow. On the website of the Home ministry, there is a page for Action Plan. This provides link to a 74-page pdf document which tabulates a time-bound action plan — Action Plan III (October 2009 to March 2010) — for all departments of the home ministry. It also lists the progress achieved on these action points. And most amazingly, hold your breath, it has been last updated on 28 January 2010.
This initiative holds much promise for developing an effective system of public accountability that will ensure that government servants and elected political leaders are responsible to the public. The proliferation of new information and communication technologies facilitates more such initiatives in governance. If the media is able to generate more awareness about these initiatives, then such systems are likely to increase the pressure for higher standards of ethics, transparency and accountability from the government.
In the usual course, this blog is very quick to pounce upon any mistakes made by the government and lambast it, especially in the field of national and internal security. But here is an exception when it is time to acknowledge that this is truly a stand-out initiative of the Home ministry. Kudos to them.
//It is another matter that the media is more interested in sound bytes and sensationalist stories than in analysing and disseminating the facts and figures contained in the report card.//
This write up is to be read by all. You have rightly said the above quote.
It is sad that common man is swayed by sensationalism. And the media is responsible!
Felt good reading about Home Ministry.
This initiative holds much promise for developing an effective system of public accountability that will ensure that government servants and ———– are responsible to the public.
Baboos are trained &are experts in fudging facts & figures to mislead everyone,incl thier bosses.So the report card & action plans etc are designed & instituted to achieve just that——-MISLEAD everyone.
Pray tell us why Home Secy & IAS/IPS Baboos under him were not held “accountable” for the “ghastly terror attack on Mumbai in November 2008″& for the death of 200 indian citizens?
An interesting,though not connected,news.Lord BN Srikrishna of 6CPC fiasco fame,responsible for demoralising the Indian Armed Forces,has been nominated to head panel on Telengana. Seems to be favourate of Baboos & PC!!
[...] P.S. — It irks this blogger no end that the CAG report referred to in the Outlook report is not available online — neither on the CAG nor on the MHA website. In today’s time and age of viral transmission and proliferation via social media, it is almost mandatory on the government to place such reports in the public domain. This is all the more incomprehensible when increased transparency in governance is the order of the day and the Union Home Minister has himself been rather open and forthcoming about the accountability of his ministry. [...]