The New Nation - Internet Edition

A GOVERNMENT committee revealed recently as reported by media that files continue to pile up on the secretariat desks, as senior bureaucrats often tend to evade their discretion and sit on documents causing unusual delay in disposing of most proposals. About 75 per cent of the stockpile of files could be cleared readily if the relevant officials would exercise the authority delegated to them under service rules. Besides, the committee found that most of the ministries and divisions do not exercise delegation of administrative and financial powers that are required for efficient and smooth running of the government. This causes unnecessary delays and hampers service delivery.

The three-member committee led by a top government official submitted its report to the cabinet secretary recommending rather formation of a central body at higher level under an adviser or a minister to monitor overall bureaucratic functioning which the country inherited as British colonial legacy that proved not to be congenial to an independent and democratic country like Bangladesh. A random survey on eleven ministries found many files 'unnecessarily' traveling from a senior assistant secretary to the secretary causing procrastination to the bureaucratic system and this hinders smooth service delivery.

As reported, the committee also found some officials keeping files pending for indefinite periods of time without any logical ground although, as per rules, these should be passed over within three days at each level. The files travel from bottom towards the topmost cases, although deputy secretaries or the joint secretaries could dispose of most of them. The 'rules of business' besides the 'secretariat instructions' are not being followed for disposal of the files.