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| Sunday, 25 July 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Guidelines to rejuvenate the Public Service The public service is the government's widespread establishment through which all persons in every town and village have to interact in necessary business (a) The government (b) Citizens and non-nationals. So it is of paramount importance that the authority at the apex of public administration ensure that the public service is streamlined for optimum performance. Public servants are entitled to substantial salaries and other emoluments and pensions for life, all of which are paid from the proceeds of taxes levied from the general public. They are generally expected to work eight hours a day. In comparison with the masses, the middle and upper grades of public servants are definitely economically much better off, and this letter is intended to stimulate public servants in those grades to undergo some form of sacrifice to get over the perilous state of the economy of the country. Therefore, to meet the current challenges confronting society in prolonged distress, it is the obligation of every public servant to put his/her best foot forward ie., to render unstinted service in an endeavour to resuscitate our society from the economic and moral morass it is in current times. In the process, the noble principle of rendering enthusiastically services/work worth more than the quantum of pay received, should be adopted and adhered to. In that regard the shining examples of the raising of the economies of Japan and Singapore in recent history are worthy of emulation for organising the public sector. As I recommend for the next two years the following guidelines. (1) Avail leave only for absolutely necessary private purposes with no monetary entitlement to be claimed for foregoing the remainder of the quota of leave. (2) Work at least two days on every other weekend , and every other public holiday with no extra payment. (3) Organise the homefront by imposing thrifty lifestyles. (4) Display an identification badge indicating the name and designation. (5) Tactfully disregard undue political interventions. (6) If your work allocation is over or low discuss matters with the superior: give the impression that no job is too big or too small to be undertaken. (7) Exercise courtesy with a genuine smile: tolerate opinions even when you do not agree with them: give a patient hearing to grievances and adopt a positive approach to solve them, if necessary, with the help of superiors. (8) Transcend ethnic, religious, caste and gender influences by giving pride of place to humanism. (9) Don't do private work or engage in gossip during office time. (10) Give silent service and keep at arm's length any sycophants. The above hints have been gathered from studies of the lives of many great men and women who have made signal contributions of services to humanity-eg., Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Henry Ford and Florence Nightingale. If the measures indicated above are implemented by our public servants of the middle and higher grades with the sacrifice involved, the country would be well on the road to success even before the two year period given for trial. May our broadminded public servants take up the challenge before the nation! D. Kuruneru, S. L. Adm.S. (retd.) |
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