This blogpost has attracted the attention of M R Sivaraman, IAS (Retd.) who recalls the letter he and Lt. Gen. S.Pattabhiraman (Retd) wrote to the Prime Minister. Excerpts from the letter are appended.
There is a concerted move by the media to present false information to the public in the name of freedom.This is a classic instance created by Shekar Gupta and Siddharth Varadarajan to increase circulation of their newspapers.
Sivaraman recalls an incident of reporting about a bomb blast in Hyderabad.
Sivaraman and former DG Doordarshan Sharma were watching Headlines Today in his room in Sun & Sand hotel when a news flash appeared.
Bombblast in Hyderabd 17 killed hundreds injured .This was just a few minutes before Dr Singh was to meet Nawab Sharief.
Sivaraman and Sharma were shocked and Mr.Sharma tried to find out from the news desk but they blanked it out and there was no response.
The same channel was merrily abusing IAS and wrongly projecting Air Marshal Keelor to be a DGCA.
Sivaraman phoned them and the news desk said they will correct it as Sivaraman was the first IAS DGCA and had a licence to fly and the person Air Marshal Keelor making those comments was his advisor and not the DGCA as the channel was projecting him to be.
The media never corrected the misreporting
Why did IE and others give such a news item when Shekar Gupta knew that it was a routine move by the army although one could interpret it as a pincer toward Delhi. It was to denigrate VK Singh and at the same time to widen the gulf between the MOD and the army.
Having known the defence forces loyalty and sacrifices PM after PM have blundered by not giving the chiefs their due importance.
They should be present in all meetings of the cabinet committee on security.
Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget should be finalised by Secy Expenditure only after he had had a meeting with the services chiefs and they should drop their ego and go to a discussion with him and even force it.
The MOD should be reconstituted to have a single file system between the army, navy, Airforce HQs and mod with no intermediate noting by anybody other than a JS level officer.We have this in the revenue department and files came from members or chairman directly to Revenue Secretary and there was no noting on that by anybody other than Revenue Secretary, said Sivaraman.
Addendum:
It is unclear if the PM took any action on this letter.
The distressing situation of the news media reporting without a sense of responsibility and bordering on treason should be corrected without any further delay.
Will the dead duck Government act, at least now, on the complaint sent by Gen. VK Singh to MHA and follow-up on the suggestions made by Sivaraman and Pattabhiraman?
Kalyanaraman
Excerpts from the letter follows:
M.R.Sivaraman IAS (Retd) Lieut.General S.Pattabhiraman (Retd)
Former Rev.Secretary and ED IMF Former Vice Chief of Army Staff
Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh,
We have chosen to address this letter to you in order to invite your personal attention sir.
In the context of the avoidable embarrassment which the government had to face recently in the Parliament in the wake of the recent incidents at the LOC, certain administrative changes are urgently required to ensure that such instances are not repeated and responsibility could be fixed easily.
We suggest that the a single file system be introduced between the Services Head quarters and the MOD with a clear arrangement that the files will be dealt with only by officers of equivalent ranks in the MOD. It would ensure security and quick disposal of files and the delays that are reported could become a thing of the past. It would be easier to fix responsibility for any lapses. The Hon. PM is aware that the both the CBDT and CBEC although statutorily distinct authorities remain part of the revenue department in regard to movement of files and the system has functioned well. Secondly all tax matters were dealt with only by IRS officers and so far there has been no leakage of any document from that department. Defense matters are equally, if not more important and there is no reason why a single file officer oriented system cannot be implemented.
In order to ensure this the Rules of business be suitably amended to include all three star officers and above like other officers find a place in the rules of business.
The financial rules be amended to give full powers to the Army Commanders in respect of pay, leave and pensions including pension to the widows. All army commanders should be provided with FA as in all the ministries. Army commanders being equivalent of secretaries to government should necessarily have these powers to achieve maximum operational efficiency. It is understood that accountability goes with enhanced powers.
We are astonished, to say the least, that the post of Secretary Ex servicemen’s welfare is held by an officer other than a service officer. This should be put to an end to immediately with the nomination of a suitable service officer from any one of the threes services to this post.
Sir, these are elementary changes in the system that would go a long way in removing the irritants in the functioning of the systems in force in the defence ministry, all of which can be implemented by executive orders. We are sure that this will enhance the prestige of the government and send a message that the government is caring for its defence forces.
The letter has the approval of Mr.T.S.Srinivasan former Chairman CBDT, Liuet. General V.R.Raghavan DGMO (Retd) Mr. T.S.Kishnamurthy former Chief Election Commissioner
With our personal regards,
Sd.--