A great door, old and studded with large nails and set in a massive doorway of stone…..and here enters Jonathan Harker into the Castle of Count Dracula….scared….there are only frowning walls and dark windows around….howling of jackals…..and a smell of centuries of weariness and boredom.
The feeling was somewhat similar when I had to enter the North Block to see Mr. Ravanna Bhiram, Under Secretary, who could, my boss believed, get us a tax exemption on the old and used clothes donated by a Scottish charity for free distribution to the Indian poor i.e. those living below the Rs.32 a day level as per the findings of our Planning Commission. The sentry at the gate stopped and frisked me thoroughly. There had been a high alert in North Block as ‘plastic adhesives' had been found planted in the FM's office and he had to request the PM to intervene. Private detectives hired for electronic sweep had confirmed the presence of these ‘plastic adhesives' at 16 places, which later IB insisted were nothing but chewing gum.
I had been told by a friend that the best time to find an Under Secretary in his room is around the closing time, that is, 5.45 PM as they are more likely to be busy at any other time in official meetings and, more often, in unofficial meetings with their lunch group discussing how their cadre restructuring is ultimately in the interest of national economy.
After having located him at the right time and also after having extended him an invitation to dinner, I was comfortable for a friendly talk with him.
“Sir, this place looks so awesome…..I am curious to know what all you do here”, I asked.
“It is here that we handle the matters relating to collection of revenue and economic security of the nation”, he answered with lot of pride in his voice.
I did not tell him what I thought about the recent ‘chewing gum attack' on national economy…..and also the great expertise shown by them in handling this act of terrorism.
“I heard you handle the union budget too…”, I enquired.
“Well, we don't talk about it. In fact it is nation's most well-kept secret till 28 th February each year ………….”, he said.
“I am sorry, sir. I did not know about this. But why is it kept so secret?”
“I really don't know. May be it is prescribed in budget manual or something……..in fact nobody knows for sure……”.
“Sir, why is it presented only on the 28 th February?”
“I told you it must be something to do with some budget manual……”
“Sir, I see bundles and bundles of papers here……..how do you manage such a load of work…it is awesome indeed”, I tried to show my appreciation.
“Most of these are the letters we receive from our field offices. These jokers have nothing to do except shoot letters to us!”
“What do you do with these letters?”
“….to tell you the truth, most of these are just archived in these bundles…” he laughed for the first time.
“Sir, how much time will it take for our request to be accepted…..I mean when should I come for the approval order?” I thought it was time to talk about my own business here.
“We will try to do it at the earliest. Just hand over your request to the P.S. to Secretary”.
“Sir, I thought you will be handling this matter……”
“That is right. But the representation is addressed to the Secretary….just give it to his P.S. It will come to me.”
“P.S.?”
“Personal Secretary…”
“That is really super-specialization here….your secretary too has his personal secretary…That is really………….!”
“Oh, no, not my personal secretary but personal secretary to the secretary to the Government of India…..forget it, you won't understand. Just do what you are told to do….”
“No problem, sir. It will come to you today. Isn't it?”
“Look, we don't follow the systems that you follow….I think I will have to explain it to you…you are too inquisitive! This representation will be received by the P.S. to the Secretary who will give it to his peon to stamp it and then it will be given to the clerk to be entered in the Receipt Diary…it will then go to the Secretary who will mark it to the Additional Secretary…..it will come back to the P.S. to the Secretary and will be entered in Dispatch Diary and also the Peon Book and delivered by a peon to the P.S. to the Additional Secretary who too will have a stamped again and send it to Additional Secretary who will mark it to Joint Secretary…….it is a long drill before it will reach me…”
“My God! But you will decide it when it reaches you, I am sure..?”
“No, I will mark it to Section Officer who will mark it to Dealing Assistant who will open file and put up to Section Officer who will then send it to me..”
“Oh, God, it will be a long journey……But still it will finally reach you!”
“Oh no, when it comes to me, it will follow the same route upwards to Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, Secretary and then the Minister through their personal secretaries…”
“Then…?”
“Then it will travel back to me following the same route…”
“Oh my God…anything further?”
“Not much…..it will go back to the Section Officer and the Dealing Assistant who will put up a formal order for my signatures and………”
“Sir, sir, I have understood…. sir.”
“Procedures are procedures……….gentleman….you appear to be quite disturbed?”
Ravanna is right. Procedures are procedures. And it will take a lot of procedures to take all the countrymen above the Rs. 32 per day limit!
Source:- Taxindiaonline.com article by Sri DD Rishi,IRS[C&CE]
The feeling was somewhat similar when I had to enter the North Block to see Mr. Ravanna Bhiram, Under Secretary, who could, my boss believed, get us a tax exemption on the old and used clothes donated by a Scottish charity for free distribution to the Indian poor i.e. those living below the Rs.32 a day level as per the findings of our Planning Commission. The sentry at the gate stopped and frisked me thoroughly. There had been a high alert in North Block as ‘plastic adhesives' had been found planted in the FM's office and he had to request the PM to intervene. Private detectives hired for electronic sweep had confirmed the presence of these ‘plastic adhesives' at 16 places, which later IB insisted were nothing but chewing gum.
I had been told by a friend that the best time to find an Under Secretary in his room is around the closing time, that is, 5.45 PM as they are more likely to be busy at any other time in official meetings and, more often, in unofficial meetings with their lunch group discussing how their cadre restructuring is ultimately in the interest of national economy.
After having located him at the right time and also after having extended him an invitation to dinner, I was comfortable for a friendly talk with him.
“Sir, this place looks so awesome…..I am curious to know what all you do here”, I asked.
“It is here that we handle the matters relating to collection of revenue and economic security of the nation”, he answered with lot of pride in his voice.
I did not tell him what I thought about the recent ‘chewing gum attack' on national economy…..and also the great expertise shown by them in handling this act of terrorism.
“I heard you handle the union budget too…”, I enquired.
“Well, we don't talk about it. In fact it is nation's most well-kept secret till 28 th February each year ………….”, he said.
“I am sorry, sir. I did not know about this. But why is it kept so secret?”
“I really don't know. May be it is prescribed in budget manual or something……..in fact nobody knows for sure……”.
“Sir, why is it presented only on the 28 th February?”
“I told you it must be something to do with some budget manual……”
“Sir, I see bundles and bundles of papers here……..how do you manage such a load of work…it is awesome indeed”, I tried to show my appreciation.
“Most of these are the letters we receive from our field offices. These jokers have nothing to do except shoot letters to us!”
“What do you do with these letters?”
“….to tell you the truth, most of these are just archived in these bundles…” he laughed for the first time.
“Sir, how much time will it take for our request to be accepted…..I mean when should I come for the approval order?” I thought it was time to talk about my own business here.
“We will try to do it at the earliest. Just hand over your request to the P.S. to Secretary”.
“Sir, I thought you will be handling this matter……”
“That is right. But the representation is addressed to the Secretary….just give it to his P.S. It will come to me.”
“P.S.?”
“Personal Secretary…”
“That is really super-specialization here….your secretary too has his personal secretary…That is really………….!”
“Oh, no, not my personal secretary but personal secretary to the secretary to the Government of India…..forget it, you won't understand. Just do what you are told to do….”
“No problem, sir. It will come to you today. Isn't it?”
“Look, we don't follow the systems that you follow….I think I will have to explain it to you…you are too inquisitive! This representation will be received by the P.S. to the Secretary who will give it to his peon to stamp it and then it will be given to the clerk to be entered in the Receipt Diary…it will then go to the Secretary who will mark it to the Additional Secretary…..it will come back to the P.S. to the Secretary and will be entered in Dispatch Diary and also the Peon Book and delivered by a peon to the P.S. to the Additional Secretary who too will have a stamped again and send it to Additional Secretary who will mark it to Joint Secretary…….it is a long drill before it will reach me…”
“My God! But you will decide it when it reaches you, I am sure..?”
“No, I will mark it to Section Officer who will mark it to Dealing Assistant who will open file and put up to Section Officer who will then send it to me..”
“Oh, God, it will be a long journey……But still it will finally reach you!”
“Oh no, when it comes to me, it will follow the same route upwards to Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, Secretary and then the Minister through their personal secretaries…”
“Then…?”
“Then it will travel back to me following the same route…”
“Oh my God…anything further?”
“Not much…..it will go back to the Section Officer and the Dealing Assistant who will put up a formal order for my signatures and………”
“Sir, sir, I have understood…. sir.”
“Procedures are procedures……….gentleman….you appear to be quite disturbed?”
Ravanna is right. Procedures are procedures. And it will take a lot of procedures to take all the countrymen above the Rs. 32 per day limit!
Source:- Taxindiaonline.com article by Sri DD Rishi,IRS[C&CE]
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