Day 45 – Q 4.Examine the tools that ensure accountability in public administration. Also discuss the status of grievance redressal mechanism in India.

4. Examine the tools that ensure accountability in public administration. Also discuss the status of grievance redressal mechanism in India. 

उन उपकरणों की जांच करें जो सार्वजनिक प्रशासन में उत्तरदायित्व सुनिश्चित करते हैं। भारत में शिकायत निवारण तंत्र की स्थिति पर भी चर्चा करें।

Introduction:

Accountability refers to acknowledgement and owning up the responsibility for actions taken, decision made, policies formulated along with result obtained due to these.

Body:

Tools to ensure accountability in public administration in India:

• RTI.
• Social auditing.
• Central Monitoring systems.
• Parliamentary review committee.
• Citizens Charter.
• Suspension and Forced retirement.

Example: With the introduction of mandatory social audits, corruption and leakages in MGNREGA have reduced considerably. Continuous monitoring of the PDS system by civil society in Chhattisgarh have improved its performance manifolds.

Accountability measures and institutions in government also impede decision making and lead to inaction and delay.

Grievance is a part of every administration machinery. India has a centralized public grievance redress and monitoring system (CPGRMS).

There are primarily two designated agencies handling grievances:

• Department of Administrative reform and public grievance: Under ministry of Personnel, it receives grievances and forwards to concerned departments and follows it up till final disposal.
• Directorate of Public grievances: It is an appellate body investigating grievances selectively where complainant has failed to get redress.

Note: In first part, many have written about accountability in general. The question specifically asks about Public administration. Take a minute to understand demands of question before writing. Examples are very important.

Conclusion:

It is true that accountability measures are sometime used as harassment by public or for taking revenge on public officials especially after RTI came into force. But that should not be the reason to restrict them instead innovative methods should be formulated to address them.

Best Answer: No best answer.