Budget 2008-09 had something for everyone, including the civil and armed services. The sixth pay commission is expected to submit its recommendations to the UPA government this month. The Manmohan Singh government is expected to announce hikes in pay and allowances for its 55 lakh employees — at the cost of some Rs 26,000 crore to the exchequer — perhaps close to the general election in order to get the maximum political mileage. Although it is nobody’s case to deny government employees their rightful due, this exercise would be incomplete if it was not accompanied by administrative reform.

Consider the following. A day after the terrorist attack at a CRPF recruitment centre at Rampur on January 1, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Secretary Shashank Sekhar Singh held a meeting with top police officers, including Director General of Police Vikram Singh and all the additional DGPs, in Lucknow. The main agenda was the attack, but the meeting was used as a platform to vent Chief Minister Mayawati’s ire on the shoddy security treatment given to her during a visit to Rampur. During that hastily arranged visit, she had not been provided with a bullet-proof car and the landing ground was not hosed with water and was therefore rather too dusty for a VIP. At this point, DGP Vikram Singh startled his juniors by telling the cabinet secretary that he would personally take care of the chief minister’s security the next time around. Days later, on January 15, a uniformed Vikram Singh was seen offering cake to Mayawati on her birthday.

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