How to cripple a commisson that government is forced to create?
The latest example of this ongoing practice is the appointment of secretary of National Human Rights Commission, even before deciding who the members of the commission will be! This disfunctional practice should stop.
We have seen this again and again.
People demand for news institutions like Anti-Corruption Commission, Telecom Commission, Energry Commission and many others. First response from the top burecrats is to suggest whoever in power is - it will create problem for the government or it is not necessary or we have some other department or bureau doing exactly the same thing or this would be waste of money or something similar.
In a nutshell, their policy is to stall the process or slow the process.
But at some point, they can not carry on. Either from pressure from the civil soceity or pressure from the people or pressure from the development partners or a combination of all of them create a situation when the stupids in the helm actually gain some courage and tell their subbordinate bureacrats that its now time to create the regulatory body (e.g. ACC, BTRC, ERC, etc).
When they see no other way, the take all the necessary steps. But its not done yet. The real stalling process only starts.
Once every thing is ready on paper (at the policy level), they start the process of stalling in the operational level. They will not have any hiring policy, no organogram, no funding or some other similar procedural problems. With all these obstackles, they prevent the long - cherished body to function for several more years. This whole process starts with a single stroke.
They make constitutational body into a burecratic organization. The process starts with the appointment of a secretary even before deciding who the members of the body will be.
That person, someone from the actual bureacracy joins the body and set up the whole thing, hire some people (probably crooks). In other words, the job of this advance team is to make the initial setup in such a way - whoever comes in as a head or policy making members, they will be burdened with all the pre-set things.
Reading this, someone from the administration might argue that this allegation is really absurd. If there is no secretary and the official setup before, how come the members and chairman will start their job from the day one when they are selected. Sounds logical? You couldn't be more wrong!
The idea that everything must be setup before the head of the commission joins the body - this very idea is based on a wrong premise. These constitution commissions are not some bearucratic department or bureaus that you should setup using pre-set rules. These constituational bodies are born to tackle a specific problem that is created out of system bureacratic system.
We can define it differently.
If you accept that burecracy is necessary evil, then these commissions are aimed at to reduce those evils within the bureacracy. You can not expect to reduce those evils with the application of same kind of bureacracy.
So, what do we suggest. There is no general rule - that is the suggestion. You have to first hire a person whom you think is competent enough to be the chairman of the commission. Once you do that, leave the details to that person. If someone do not know how to do new things - he or she is not suitable for the job.
This approach is particualrly applicable for a commission which is created new - as it was the case for ACC, BTRC, ERC, etc. But none was initialized as they should have been. As a result they all lost first of several years of their lifetime and most of them are still carrying the scurs.
The newest chapter of the same storybook is unfolding as we speak. Yes, we are refering to the HR Commission.
Should we pain-stakingly watch the near death experience of this newest commission before that is again reconstituted in several years time before it can start again? This current government has already proven itself that they are also not any different as far as their dealings w.r.t. bureacracy is concerned. So, why should we expect a different result?
It will go through the same process, it seems. Read the following news "
Dhaka, Sept 10 (bdnews24.com) – Humayun Khaled, a joint secretary at the education ministry, will be secretary to the National Human Rights Commission on deputation, the establishment ministry said Wednesday. The commission was set up on Sept 1 in compliance with the National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2007. The government had earlier formed a six-member search committee to appoint the chairman and members for the commission."
Lifecycle has started, they appointed the secretary of the HR Commission. In three years time, Sultan Kalam or Dr. Kamal or Mrs. Anam or somebody similar from the civil soceity watch-dog will come to the press and tell us that the HR Commission is a bogus one, its disfunctional.
That is another problem with our soceity.
These so-called watch-dogs are actually retarded-watch-dogs or sleeping-watch-dogs. They do not have the ability to understand that something bad is going to happen, until something actually happens.
And probably that is why this cycle of mis-management is continuing. Because, burecrats are always dogs, they bark as long as they think they are safe. Tai na? Mr. current PSC Chairman?
(By the way, we do not have any personal issue with the chairman. We are only refering to his personal comment where he was talking that if a burecrat do not act by sensing the wind, they are sidelined. So, he acted accordingly. He was the cabinet secretary for Khaleda Zia government. Again, when another government came which sent Khaleda Zia to jail, that same government made him the head of a consitutional post! What an expert in sensing the air! Ei na hole, servant of the republic? This is an example which deserves a olimpic gold medal)
If you thought some of the ideas are worth of your reading time, please forward it to others. If you have an ear to the columnists in regular traditional media, please forward it to them. If you have an ear to the journalists and news editors of the electronic media, discuss it with them. Hope they would look at the suggestions and give due diligence.
Thanks for your time,
Innovation Line
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Note: This is a freelance column, published mainly in different internet based forums. This column is open for contribution by the members of new generation, sometimes referred to as Gen 71. If you identify yourself as someone from that age-group and want to contribute to this column, please feel free to contact. Thanks to the group moderator for publishing the article as Creative Commons contents.
Dear readers, also, if you thought the article was important enough so it should come under attention of the head of the government please forward the message to them. Email address for the Chief Advisor:
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Also send to your favourtie TV channel:
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The more of you forward it to them, the less will be the need to go back to street agitation. Use ICT to practice democracy.
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