Is it really public service that we are talking about? Sitting on a fairly high platform that offers me immense visibility, I am rather convinced that it is all about service of the self and for the self. The service of the public servants at large and definitely the “aam aadmi” is not even on the horizon.
Strange are the ways of the bureaucracy. While calling oneself a public servant is definitely the most visible connotation of power, the bureaucrat at large considers it below dignity to perform any action that smacks of public service of any kind. Public disservice it definitely is, for how does one explain the large scale misuse of manpower and other official facilities by the category of people classified as “public servants”?
These so called servants generally do not have any consideration for the pulse of the public, pulse that is amply visible through the print and electronic media. Consideration for the pulse of the boss it is, for how does one explain our total indifference to basic issues that plague railways like severe backlog of infrastructure and highly demotivated workforce and yet waste time on irrelevant issues senior bureaucrats may espouse. Reaction to basic issues that plague the public at large is also conditioned by the response of powers that be, and not by the seriousness or relevance of the Issue itself.
How the hell this focus less organization move forward in the present turbulent times is what I am unable to fathom. Perhaps diverting the blame for the ills of the organization at the altar of the political supremo may be the only course of action that our bureaucracy may find convenient.
Strange it is. Public servants blaming the public representatives for their own fiasco’s.
The blame game continues. The organization continues to sink deeper, yet the public servants continue to have a good time at the expense of the public.
Amen!
Strange are the ways of the bureaucracy. While calling oneself a public servant is definitely the most visible connotation of power, the bureaucrat at large considers it below dignity to perform any action that smacks of public service of any kind. Public disservice it definitely is, for how does one explain the large scale misuse of manpower and other official facilities by the category of people classified as “public servants”?
These so called servants generally do not have any consideration for the pulse of the public, pulse that is amply visible through the print and electronic media. Consideration for the pulse of the boss it is, for how does one explain our total indifference to basic issues that plague railways like severe backlog of infrastructure and highly demotivated workforce and yet waste time on irrelevant issues senior bureaucrats may espouse. Reaction to basic issues that plague the public at large is also conditioned by the response of powers that be, and not by the seriousness or relevance of the Issue itself.
How the hell this focus less organization move forward in the present turbulent times is what I am unable to fathom. Perhaps diverting the blame for the ills of the organization at the altar of the political supremo may be the only course of action that our bureaucracy may find convenient.
Strange it is. Public servants blaming the public representatives for their own fiasco’s.
The blame game continues. The organization continues to sink deeper, yet the public servants continue to have a good time at the expense of the public.
Amen!
Sir
ReplyDeleteAirport Authority of India is one of the sick PSUs which needs an efficient administrator for its turn around. I have been through your book "Winning at Work against all odds". I feel you are the best person to lead a bunch of non-performing buggers at AAI and show them light which would lead their flight of success to great height. It will become another famous turnaround success stories in history of modern India. Another book is awaited!!!
Dear Mr Turnaround,
ReplyDeleteYour blogs are, no doubt, the showcase of your creative activities and your thoughts on government system.
You, being a peer raliway personnel, i would like to bring to your notice a issue, which though a petty one, still a very serious one.
Your trains are full of fat rats and the AC coaches are worst affected ones. I myself had encountered twice and once a rat had even bitten my finger terribly. And forget about a doctor on train, you are not even able to find a first aid kit.
Is this something too much i am demanding- to make the trains rat free and provide fully equipped first-aid-kits?
Yes that is what colleagues are for! Your concern is shared. The issue is neither petty nor easy, otherwise it would have been licked by now. The problem lies in recent changes and instructions of the board in the matter of pest control of coaches and also our tendering process. I have made a reference reg the same to hqrs and board and unless our concerns are addressed, not much improvement would be possible. I would appreciate your help in this regard much more than a mere expression of concern that most of us regularly keep on showing.
DeleteThanks for your prompt action and reply. I would be more than happy to do whatever little i can do. Just let me know how can i be of any assistance to you.
ReplyDeletebest wishes,
sir,
ReplyDeleteyou seem not to accept the fact that we r nothing more than a bunch of fools. that we can't manage ourselves is a fact we always run away from. that we can damage to the core any & every organisation n systems that british gifted us is the best of our ability n capability.
we also suffer from the syndrome of feeling superior being. due to this, we think that the person in front is a fool n doesn't know anything leave apart matching our knowledge n techniques as though we have landed from some place else.
that i'm superior n all rest, read public, r inferior n god has given me this golden chance to rule upon them.
why we join the govt. services is amply clear in our conduct during service. we have so much of insecurities in life that we don't want to loose any chance to earn by all ways n means.
we r made to think since our birth that he is inferior n u hve to become superior. we toil to clear the exam by rattafication n become bureacrat n then bureacrat thinks he has equalled the british by becoming bada babu unfortunately, we have even failed to run the system they excelled in.
these days wherever i go it seems a lohani is indeed the need of the hour. everywhere there r people but no lohani.
it seems that each of us need to become one lohani to improve lives of our own people. the time has arrived to deliver what we owe them.
thnx lohani n be lohani.
hats off to u. sir, keep the fire on for lighting our fire.
Sir,
ReplyDeleteService to mankind is service to God. We are very lucky to have someone like you amongst us to inspire and guide us towards the path of true rendering of service. U are our role model in our profession. Personally, I always wait for your recent posts.