Some Pre-Requisites of Reform Author(s): M. N. Reviewed work(s): Source: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 3, No. 3 (Jan.

20, 1968), pp. 205+207 Published by: Economic and Political Weekly Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4358159 . Accessed: 25/01/2013 17:33
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ADMINISTRATION

Some Pre-requisites of Reform

MN
WITH independence and planning, the character and structure of Indian administration have changed significantly. The district which was the administrative unit for policy formulation and implementation ha, now lost its former autonomy and viability. Instead, a highly formalised pattern of ambivalent objectives has been superimposed on the traditional district set-up. An undesirable dichotomy has been created between develop"ient administration and genieral administration (which includes maintenance of law and order) when, in fact, general administration should have been geared to development administration in many ways. Today, the existence of two Collectors -for instance, in Maharashtra-one to look after land revenue recovery and the other to work as Secretary of the District Development Council or the Zilla Parishad, is a retrograde step because it frustrates the task of integrated administration of the district. The dichotomy between development administration and general administration has led to considerable multiplicity both of staff and line agencies, with serious consequences for administrative overheads and public relations. Coordination, which is the acid test of administration, has to be sought either through acrimonious debates or through pious resoluitions doomed to be ignored or forgotten. Decentralisation of decision-making cain be laudable, but the execution of development pro;grammes through Panchayati Raj bodies by a civil seivant who is answerable both to the State and to the Panchayati Raj body, makes the civil servant's problems more than just administrative. He has to strike a balance between the competinig claims of the Panchayati Raj body and the State. The tehsils or taluks - the constituent units of a district - have a similar dual set-up in most States. The Block Development Officers and Telssildars or Mamlatdarsare both supposed to work for the welfare of the general public. But here again we witness a dichotomy between development administration and general administration. Maintenance of law and order is qualitatively linked with economic development. Food riots are basically the result of food shortages. and an effective cont rol of such riots demands an effective boosting of food production and its satisfactory distribution. Implementation through separate departments is likely to frustrate the benefits of an integrated administration.

report vague complaints or petitions to higher-ups, even when the petition can be disposed of summarily at a junior officer's level.

Public petitions and grievances may be broadly classified in two main categories: specific allegations or demands supported by facts, and general and habitual complaints against the conduct of officials or policies of the Government. The failure to receive a certain grant, a piece of land, certain permits or minor benefits are instances for specific petitions; while allegations about the general conduct of an official, that such and such an official moves about with x, Y or z or that he is DIVIDED LOYALTY "harassing the public", etc, are a few Under the British, the district was the instances of the vague and general petibasic unit of administration with the tion. The point to emphasise is that, tehsils or taluks as subordinate units, vigilance bodies against corruption which made for speedy execution. TIhe should be more selective and imaginative district set-up played a crucial role not in investigating complaints. They should only in the miaintenance of law and summarily dispose of petitions of a order but also in the implementation of general character and investigate only the broader policies of the State. The the particular ones. district Collector occupied a pivotal An important consequence of the position in the administrative hierarchy. Any legislation or rule was formulated earlier system was that grie vances of after taking into account the opinion of the public were redressed on the spot the Collector. The grievances of the by personal visits and delegation of public were never redressed without powers of enquiry to subordinates. consultation with the Collector. And Allegations about officials were enquired Collectors had the fullest discretion in into with regard to particular circumdeciding matters falling under their stances. Allegations of a purely general juirisdiction. Autonomy in defined character were summarily filed and spheres was also delegated to the lower dismissed. It is this selectiveness that is echelons of the administration. The lacking in the post-Independence bonafide of decisions made in the dis- set-up. charge of duties was never questioned. The need to reform the structure of While there was perfect accountability administration for better performance for various commissions and omissions, towards Plan targets and to evolve a the discretion allowed made for official machinery in the administrative hierarloyalty, subordination and discipline at chy for redressing the grievances of the various levels of the administration. public and for enquiring into serious Even now this formal pattern has not allegations about officials, has asstumed changed significantly, but little room considerable proportions. Institutional has been left for discretioni.Today's dismeasures like the Ombudsman, Vigilance sipation and proliferation of accountaCommissioners, Lok Pal, etc, are in the bility leads to divided loyalty and res- nature of indicative reforms. They are ponsibility, and frustrates smooth im- intended to provide the necessary plementation. organisational framework to investigate corruption. Prompt Today, the absence of adequate dis- allegations of cretion has resulted in a labyrinth of attendance to the grievances of millions office procedures, inter and intra depart- of farmers, consumers, petty traders, mental consultation and consequent de- labourers, office-goers, etc, forms the lay, lack of vision among officers for core of administrative justice. The making summary decisions and taking evolution of machinery to attend to responsibility wherever possible. There such grievances should, therefore, brook is, instead, a proneness tD enquire and no delay. But the machinery has to be
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ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY more discriminating and choose only the specific and substantive allegations for redress. Moreover, administrative reform implies reform of the entire fabric and structure of the governmental machinery which comes into direct contact with the public. Success in changing the complex structure of a society in accorclance with a Plan, and in increasing productivity at the village and taluka or tehsil, depends largely on the efliciency with which the lower echelons of the administration function. The image of the nation in the minds of millions of farmers, petty traders and consumers is influenced and moulded by the smallcr officials engaged in field administration. Unless (he structure of administration at the level of the district and its constituent units, viz, taluka or tchsil, is overhauled to suit the requirements of a fast-growing complex community, wc need have no illusions about the coming social order. Reforms confined to a few ministries and secretariats do niot have any practical significance. Men of the Indian Administrative Service and its allied services have received much attention in the past decade as regards training opportunities and facilities; bul men at the levels of the talukas or tehsils have remained in a state of dry rot. A purposeful administrative reform must proceed from the lowest rung of the administrativehierarchy. A top-heavy and bottom-loose structure of administration is unlikely to provide a solid base for a welfare state.

January 20, 19%8

MARKETS

Where is the Cotton for the Buffer Stock?

Nishtar
NEW DELHI's reported move to set up a buffer stock agency for cottojn is both ill-timed and ill-advised. The proposal is by no means new; it has been mooted several times in the past few years. And early in 1966, the Textile Comniissioner actually prepared a blueprint and even let it be knowri that the Cotton Buffer Stock Association would be set up "very soon" with an authorised capital of Rs 5 crores and a paid-up capital of Rs 1 crore. The capital investment was to be shared equally by the State Trading Corporation, the Indian Cotton Mills Federation, the East India Cotton Association and Cotton Growers' Cooperative Societies, the underlying idea being to provide due representation to all the interests concerned. But the proposal did not come through, presumably because the Government realised that there was no cotton for the buffler stock; there was not enough even to feed the industry adequately. The supply position this season is much better than in the last when

so. Punjab and Maharashtrahave already marketed the bulk of their production and the movement of Gujarat cottoni will be in full swing by the end of this month. If existing supplies are to be diverted for building up a buffet stock, it will naturally push up prices which are still on the high side, the recent decline notwithstanding. Ihe move is also ill-advised because handling cotton requires great skill which comes only from experience. It will be extremely difficult to get hold of honest and competent persons to run the buffer stock agency. There is also the question of resources. It will need over Rs 40 crores to manage a buffer stock Towards this end, apart from adminis- of even five lakh bales. trative training, delegation of powers A buffer stock can certainly help and selective admission of only the enforce discipline on an erring market specific charges of maladministration, but the commodity has to be available should help significantly in toning up in plenty before a buffer stock can the administration. be created. The Government therefore will be well-advised to concentrate its efforts on stepping up cotton produetion by organising the supply of necessary inputs to the growers. With the average yield of cotton in India running around 115 to 120 lbs an acre, less than half the world average, the scope for increasing cotton production through higher yield is immense.
HEDGE TRADING

acute shortage forced .he industry to resort to short time working. But it can by no nmeans be described as conmfortable. Output of 60 lakh bales which is about all that the 1967-68 harvest is expected to yield given normal weather conditions, in the second year of the now-defunct Fourth Plan is a miserable performance. Production is still running far behind the Third Plan target of 70 lakh bales, let alone the target of 86 lakh bales set for 1970-71. The outlook for imports is also fai from promising because of the tight world supply position resulting mainly from the drastic fall in US cotton production. And in any case, the country will have to pay very dearly for imports as prices of foreign cottons have risen very steeply. Apart from the continuing chronic shortage which leaves little scope for building up a buffer stock for curbing extreme swings in prices, the move for setting up a buffer stock agency is illtimed because the current season will have passed its peak in a month or

The stage is being set for the early resumption of hedge trading in cotton, after a lapse of over two years. The East India Cotton Association has finalised the terms and conditions of the hedge contract. Khadesh Virnar 197/3 having staple Iength of 27/32 inch will be the basis of the contract and will be tenderable up to 2/32 inch 'on' and 1/32 inch 'off' allowances. All cottons will be tenderable up to 1-1/2 grade 'off'. The delivery months will be March (perhaps too late now), May and July. It is scarcely necessary to go into the other details which are of a technical nature. After the terms and conditions of the hedge contract, along with the amended by-laws, are approved by the general body due to meet on January 25, the Association will seek the official blessings of the Forward Markets Commission which should be only too glad to extend the areas of its activity, unless, of couirse, the Commerce Ministry wishes otherwise.

One might have expected the East India Cotton Association to take up 207

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