The warning of compulsorily retiring non-performing staff is old and quite redundant. Neither government employees took note of it nor did the government show courage to implement it. It has become an unwritten rule that no action will be taken against government workers as most of them have the backing of their political godfathers. It looks highly unlikely that the government will take such an action in a State as small as Goa. It’s as if an attempt is made to scare with the help of a bogeyman.
The ones without any strong political connections will face the brunt of it for the government to take false credit of execution. Hence, the fear expressed by Goa Government Employees Association (GGEA) is not only baseless but also unnecessary. Has anyone heard this union making an appeal regarding doing peoples’ work on time? There was a time when the GGEA had an influential reputation, courtesy to the then leaders such as Ajit Talaulikar and Babli Naik. The Association’s presence was felt up until recently during John Nazareth’s tenure. However, the current situation is such that one would question if the association exists only to make statements. Anyway, at least the union did feel responsible enough to listen to the employees. The subject is not simple and comes with various layers. Each department is led by a head of department who is expected to write confidential reports of the employees.
The similar report of the head of department is written at the Secretariat’s level. The report of secretary level officers is written by the chief minister. If employees are not performing their duties properly it’s the responsibility of the head of department to bring it to the government’s notice. If action will be taken now against an employee who has been lethargic, then what punishment will be served to the head of the department who did not maintain it in his confidential report must be made clear as well. Such Heads of Department who provided protection to non-performing staff must face the action as well.
If they have retired then they should be charged with a financial penalty. If one was to roughly calculate the population and the number of employees then there is at least one government employee behind 27 people. Not to mention the ongoing recruitment process to appoint new workers which brings us to the crucial and eternal question of why then people’s work is always pending?
People crowd whenever a minister or chief minister calls people to hear their queries. Most of these people are stuck in government offices; what does this signify? Compulsory retirement is not a solution for the common narrative which believes that government job equates to no work. In fact, why is this rule applicable only to those who have completed 30 years of service and not to all? The main question is not of action but whether common people’s work will be made easier after this.
A Citizen’s Charter was made some time ago to mention the number of days it will take to complete the work every time a person approaches a government office. It was even hung on the walls of some offices.
E-governance was hyped up in similar ways as well. Did any of this bring change in common people’s lives? The government must introspect when commoners complain that something as convenient as the e-governance model is not working. Either people’s expectations are too high or there might be employees being negligent regarding e-governance. Whatever the reason might be, the government must find it and keep it in front of its people. The piles of files in government offices are still a common sight and it does not spare the Secretariat either.
The action on non-performing staff will be easier if the government reaches to the very root of all these questions. Instead of combing out employees based on their number of years in the service, a system which inspects their yearly performance must be put into place. A system which puts fear in the hearts of heads of departments (especially the ones who write glowing and fake confidential reports to please their political godfathers) should be implemented. The information should be collected from those who come to visit ministers and chief minister. The focus should be diverted to the departments with most complaints. And after all this if the government still manages to find time from its busy schedule, maybe they should also try to find the ones behind pending cases of Kul Mundkars and what action will be taken against them. Is the government capable of doing that?
