Day 60 – Q 2.Too much accountability stifles decision making. Do you agree? Critically comment.

2. Too much accountability stifles decision making. Do you agree? Critically comment. 

बहुत अधिक जवाबदेही निर्णय लेने में बाधा उत्पन्न करती है। क्या आप सहमत हैं? समालोचनात्मक टिप्पणी करें।

Introduction:

“Too little accountability creates monsters. Too much blame creates fools.”

Accountability is an assurance that an individual or an organization will be evaluated on their performance or behavior related to something for which they are responsible. It is one of the fundamental civil service values. However, too much accountability causes handicap in decision making.

Body

Too much accountability stifling decision making:

• Civil servants play safe and internal fixation takes place. Rules are followed blindly irrespective of being sensitive to situations. E.g. Denial of ration to a Chattishgarh tribal girl for aadhar mismatch (technical issue) resulting in hunger death.
• As many public administrators has observed, it results in trained incapacity of the officials. E.g. Durga shakti Nagpal is suspended for surprise raid to curb sand mafia in Delhi for intelligent transgression of rules. 
• Decisions are made with least risks which results in less favourable business environment. E.g. the callousness caused among banks due to NPA (fear of CBI, CVC and CAG).
• Too much accountability will take away most of the time in answerability. i.e. “an agency that is too accountable may spend so much time responding to legislative demands/oversight, and public inquiries that it is hamstrung.” 

However, with too little accountability, people whose behavior is not controllable and who can use their exalted position for self-serving purposes. It might result in creation of situations which gives too much discretion to the decision makers and thus causes corruption.

Further, will little accountability, decisions turn authoritative with little option for grievance redressal. The over powered authority works with impunity. For instance, the main argument against AFSPA is the little accountability it provides for the armed forces.

Conclusion

“Even the intelligent transgression of rules by a well-meaning bureaucrat is punished for not following the protocol and this stifle creative decision making”. Thus, autonomy is as important as accountability and there should be a balance.