PMO's ROUTINE SET-UP, LACKADAISICAL WORK APPROACH

PM Modi has taken numerous wonderful initiatives for improving the governance, including for ongoing interactive communication with the civil society. The last is vitally important so that the 'rulers' do not remain confined to an ivory tower.

Soon after the dispensation changed, I was invited to join an interactive website promising that this was for direct communication with the PM. Of course, he could not have been personally expected to look into any of the inputs or feedback, simply not possible humanly. Obviously there would be an office set-up for the purpose, which would go through all the messages received, and then they would be supposed to deal with the communications suitably including forwarding them to departments etc concerned to give due consideration and for necessary action etc. The last could or should include bringing them to PM's own attention if so deserved.

This is all very well, as it should have been, but after my first experience through this channel, I find, to my utter disappointment and also not a little shock, that this office set-up is as bad as any part of our lackadaisical bureaucracy has ever been.

Even if they call it 'Grievances' portal, it welcomes all kind of communications, including suggestions. Well, I sent them a very carefully thought-out suggestion, of utmost importance at least in my view. And what do they do? After about 10 days they simply respond that "my grievance" has been closed. Without doing anything at all on it! Or at least they have not let me suspect that the matter had received any consideration at all at any responsible level. To me it seems quite obvious that it was seen at the lowest level, by some bored Babu, who either could not bother to read the whole thing (about 2,500 words), or would be unable to understand it (though in rather simple English), or, in any case, would not comprehend its import, so what does he do - simply puts it in a trash bin and tells me that the matter has been closed.

I have responded complaining that this was 'pathetic', that it was not a grievance at all, and I expect that the matter would be duly considered at a senior and responsible level. I am waiting to see, but with much diminished expectation now, if anything would come out of it.

For whatever it is worth, the PMO portal's Registration number for my communication is PMOPG/E/2016/0209733. more