Bir's retirement notice takes political colour

CHANDIGARH: Senior IAS officer Jasbir Singh Bir's notice to the government seeking premature retirement, expressing resentment over 'malpractices' in governance, has stirred a hornet's nest in Punjab. Even as it has triggered a debate on the issue of good governance and need for reforms in the system, the opposition has lent a political hue to the resignation drama.
That there definitely is a need for reforms in governance was emphasized upon by Pramod Kumar, heading the Punjab Governance Reforms Commission. Talking to TOI, he said, "Even if Jasbir Singh Bir had not mentioned it in his premature retirement notice, it is certain that there is a need for better governance and that is precisely why this commission was set up in the first place."
Highlighting the areas of chief concern in governance, Pramod Kumar said, "Good governance is need of the hour, where not only is there no political interference but also the entire system should be so smooth that there are no delays in delivery system, the civil society should be a participant and stakeholders in governance and political interference is minimal."
Bir's resignation, which is rumoured to have been motivated due to personal interests as well as frustration at work, has drawn sharp criticism as well as accolades from his fellow bureaucrats. Apparently, this is the first time ever that any IAS officer has chosen to resign this way in a huff. Bir told TOI, "I was advised by lot of my friends not to take this step but my heart is grieved and I cannot work under such conditions."
Bir's angst has been supported by the IAS Officers Association whose president Sarvesh Kaushal told TOI, "The government should remove Bir's grievance and relieve him of humiliation and frustration that forced him to end his blotless career in such a manner. This would help re-establish the high morale of IAS officers of the state so that they could perform their duties with dedication and sincerity."
The issue of governance and reforms was raised in the recently concluded vidhan sabha session by the leader of opposition Rajinder Kaur Bhattal who raised her voice against arbitrary decisions taken by ministers to frequently transfer IAS officers. On Wednesday, Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira said, "Jasbir Singh Bir's resignation has also confirmed the breakdown of administrative machinery in the state. The Badals are using this machinery as a private army to browbeat its opponents besides getting undue favours. The opposition has called for a thorough probe into the humiliation of the said officer to find out who is responsible for not carrying out his official orders, presumably under political patronage of none less than the chief minister's family."