Leading from the front and by personal example has been Narendra Modi’s style of working in Gujarat. The new ministers got their first lesson on the “Gujarat model” of governance when they were advised by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions department of Personnel & Training to not appoint their relatives as personal staff.
As per reports, the advisory, said to be the among the first documents signed by Modi after he assumed charge as PM, outlines rules that will have to be followed in the appointment of personal staff attached to ministers.
The most important operative part of the order – ministers will henceforth appoint secretaries and other personal staff only from the “general pool”.
Is it probably for the first time that ministers are being nudged by a prime minister to keep their relatives away from official work.
Earlier, many ministers have ignored the rules and filled their office with their kith and kin. The most notable example was that of former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. He had appointed his son-in-law Vitul Kumar as his OSD and his sister’s son-in-law, Rahul Bhandari, as his personal secretary and also his nephew Vijay Singla.
It was Singla’s alleged complicity cash-for-postings scam that led to Bansal’s sacking as the rail minister.
By barring ministers from appointing personal staff of their choice, Modi has in a way ensured that no minister would be able to run his/her ministry as a personal fiefdom.
PM Modi is also said to have advised his ministers to cut down on expenses and establish a direct line of contact with the people.
Also, the decision once again highlights Modi’s commitment to run a clean government that will deliver on the promises he has made to the people of the country.
