DoPT warns disciplinary action against addressing grievances to PM, other higher officials

Taken by the huge volume of the grievances of government employees to the Prime Minister's Office, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has issued a warning to the officials, asking them to follow other channels for redressal of their complaints. (Read : OM-Representation from Government servant on service matters.) The order issued by the DoPT clarifies that whenever a Government servant wishes to press a claim or to seek redress of a grievance, it is required to address his immediate official superior, or the Head of his office, or such other authority at the lowest level as is competent to deal with the matter. The order quotes an over 60-year-old government instruction in this regard.

In a stern directive, the DoPT said necessary 'disciplinary action' will be taken against central government employees if they address their grievances to the Prime Minister, Ministers or high functionaries like Secretary directly.

"This Department is receiving a number of representations, on service matters, addressed to the Prime Minister, Minister, Secretary (Personnel) and other officers directly from the government servants...

Of late, it is observed that there is an increasing tendency on the part of officers at different levels to by-pass the prescribed channels of representation and write directly to the high functionaries totally ignoring the prescribed channels, it said.

"The problem is more acute in large departments where often very junior employees at clerical level address multiple representations to the Minister, Prime Minister and other functionaries.

"Apart from individual representations, the service unions have also developed a tendency to write to the Ministers and Prime Minister on individual grievance," said the order issued recently to all central government departments.