83 top bureaucrats move SC for administrative reforms

New Delhi: The concern among bureaucracy over the decline of administrative services spilled over to the Supreme Court on Friday when former Union cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian and 82 distinguished public servants sought urgent reforms to stem the decay.
“This petition raises a very important question,” a Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma said and is-sued notice to the Union and state governments without waiting for petitioners’ counsel, senior advocate K K Venugopal, to start arguments. The petitioners said, “There is an urgent need to depoliticise management of transfers, postings, inquiries, promotions, reward, punishment and disciplinary matters relating to civil servants.”
They wanted creation of an independent Civil Services Board or Commission both at the Centre and state; fixed tenure for civil servants to ensure stability and insulation from political pressure; and, requirement that every civil servant formally records all instructions received from administrative and political bosses as well as other quarters. The measures listed in the petition feature among the recommendations that Administrative Reform Commissions have made from time to time. The fact that petitioners together have work experience of at least 2,500 man-years in civil services, lends weight to the petition.
Earlier, Supreme Court had turned into the driver for implementation of police reforms.
The list of petitioners was enviable and included ex-Union cabinet secretary, former ambassador to US Abid Hussain, ex-CECs T S K Murthy and N Gopalaswamy.