Be accessible to people: Cabinet secretary tells senior bureaucrats

NEW DELHI: Flagging the "perceived reluctance" of senior bureaucrats to grant appointments to persons not in govt, cabinet secretary T V Somanathan has written to all secretaries saying that such interactions can give insights into ground realities and clarify misunderstandings about government policies or intentions.

In the letter to secretaries, Somanathan urged senior officials across ministries to hold such meetings in offices and "not in clubs, hotels". He said, "Meeting visitors can provide insights into the actual state of affairs on the ground, help identify or clarify miscommunications or misunderstandings about government policy or intentions, offer access to new ideas, and present opportunities to correct mistakes".

He requested officials "to endeavour to be accessible to non-officials who may seek to meet you in connection with work of your ministry/department". If, out of "precaution", any official found it necessary, they could ask another official to be present at such a meeting.

Somanathan said people from various sections of society had told him that there is a "perceived reluctance" among several secretaries of Union government and other senior officials to grant such appointments.

The top bureaucrat said that a meeting should not be denied based on an individual's profession or background - like a contractor, a member of a trade union, political party, or NGO, a private sector or a chamber of commerce employee, or someone under investigation by a law enforcement agency, having a dispute with the department on a contractual matter and/or if the matter is sub judice or under arbitration.