Surprise about TN bureaucrats among IAS officers in other states

It was in the 1971-72 period that the groundwork was laid for the CM's office to gradually gain more and more power and bring the IAS officers under its control. But there is a surprising element as well. Even though the appointments and transfers of IAS, IPS officers were devalued and began to lose respect, there was an increase in the esteem of the administration and individual officers.

There is an annual conference of district collectors is an event that occurs even now. However, in recent times, such meetings have become objects of ridicule. Several IAS officers beat politicians in singing praises of the impartial officers maintain silence.

In one such meeting during the previous Jayalalithaa regime, one collector said: Madam (the CM) toured our district and as soon as her feet touched land, it began to rain, creating joy for all the farmers.

Yet another collector compared the division of Nagapattinam as a separate district from Thanjavur to a marriage. The bride (Nagapattinam) has now gone to her husband’s house and the CM’s grant of Rs 120 crores was equated to dowry. The couple, he claimed, are living happily now.

The tragedy of such occurrences is that instead of disciplining such obsequious officers, the CM enjoyed their talk, encouraging others to outdo one another. It is such sycophantic behaviour and its approval that has led to serious consequences where even senior bureaucrats fall at the feet of the CM.

When we recount these experiences to IAS officers in other states, they refuse to believe that a senior bureaucrat can fall at the feet of a CM. As the icing on a cake, there was a cartoon in the popular Hindustan Times where a young man in a suit falls at the feet of a man behind whom hangs a board with the words 'Hon'ble Minister. And a peon explains: Sir, he is an IAS officer from Tamil Nadu who has joined work in your department and is seeking your blessings.”

In today’s environment, when a Collectors’ Conference is taking place, we must bear this in mind because it reinforces the degradation of the Civil Service.

Let us go back in time to the period when Mr Sabanayagam was Chief Secretary and a close aide of the CM Mr Karunanidhi.

The meeting is now held in the 10 floor Secretariat’s Conference Room. Then that building did not exist and the conference would be held in Rajaji Hall that is inside the Government Estate. After the CM and his ministers take their places, the Chief Secretary would begin the conference at exactly 10 A.M.

Whilst everyone, inclusive of the CM, would be quietly sitting, the Chief Secretary Mr Sabanayagam would light up a 555 cigarette. According to protocol, the CM would be on the right side of the Chief Secretary, with his cabinet colleagues next in line. On the left of Mr Sabanayagam would be all the civil servants in order of seniority.

After casually finishing his smoke, the Chief Secretary would ask “Shall we start Mr MGR”, referring to M G Rajaram, IAS, then the first member of the Revenue Board. At that time it was a post equal in status and power to that of the Chief Secretary. The Revenue Board does not exist. It was the Chief Minister Mr MGR who abolished the board, replacing it with revenue commissioners instead. (We shall later see the disastrous consequences of this move).

“Yes Saba, we shall start”, would be Mr Rajaram’s reply and the conference would begin.

Each collector would then explain the government’s plans, how they are succeeding, what are the requirements etc. These will then be debated upon and while the ministers would hardly speak the CM, sometimes, would ask questions to clarify a point or the other.

It was in a conference like this that one day the then Agriculture Minister Mr Anbil Dharmalingam complained: The Collector for Tiruchi does not listen to whatever I say.”

Immediately a senior IAS officer, who was a member of the Revenue Board, shot back: Mr Chief Secretary, kindly inform the Minister that the Collector is not obliged to listen to what a minister says.”

After a short silence, the Chief Secretary said: “Ministers, like other peoples’ representatives, can take their requests to the Collector’s notice and they will be attended to as per rules ” and brought the debate to a conclusion.

(To be continued)