Extension to senior officers to ensure two year tenure – Revenue Board Chairmen not included
The Cabinet has decided to provide a two-year tenure, if necessary by extending the service to
1. Defence Secretary,
2. Home Secretary,
3. Director (IB),
4. Secretary, Research and Analysis Wing and
5. Director, CBI
This facility is already available to the Cabinet Secretary. But nobody has thought of doing so for the Chairmen of the Revenue Boards. The Government was not very happy with the former Chairman of the CBEC who had a listless three years as Chairman due to various factors, including a CBI raid on his senior.
If you think it is worth having a Board, it is worth having a working Board and the tenure of the Members and the Chairman should be at least three years. Of course there is near unanimous opinion among the staff that the Board is absolutely unnecessary and serves no useful purpose. For another ten years we may not have a Chairman with more than a year of service in the Board. For any person to be really effective at the helm of affairs of a large and important department like, Revenue, a minimum tenure of two years is a must.
Even without granting an extension this can be achieved, if as a one time measure you appoint six Chief Commissioners (or Commissioners if Chief Commissioners are not available) who are less than 55 years of age as Board members and further promotion to the Board should be given only to those who are less than 55 and only the one who has more than two years service left should be elevated to the post of Chairman. Every Board Member should be assured of a post - retirement job for two years as the plus two syndrome is affecting the work culture in the department. All senior officers above 59 are in search of those plus two jobs. Tribunal, Settlement Commission etc has become post - retirement options. If these high power organisations should not become parking grounds for old, tired and retired officials, we should have a maximum age limit for these organisations too. Any one above 55 should not be allowed to join these bodies.
Yet another way should be to give a little chance for merit. At every stage starting from Inspector, 50% of the promotions should be by merit through a tough written examination of the laws these officers are paid to administer. In course of time we will have some talented officers at the top instead of every one just drifting up and up till he reaches the top.