PM upset as “some ministries”
flout directions
Cabinet Secretary sends a terse
note
The Prime Minister has taken strong exception to “some ministries and departments” flouting the directions of the Cabinet Secretariat relating to not forwarding a copy of the draft notes when these are sent for inter-ministerial consultations.
The Cabinet Secretariat, in a terse note sent to all ministries
said, “in spite of the laid down procedure, it has been observed that some
Ministries and departments are not forwarding a copy of the draft notes to the
Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet Secretariat. These draft notes must be
shared when these are sent for inter-ministerial consultations.”
The Lokmat has a copy of the letter sent to all secretaries to
the ministries & departments.
Ashutosh Jindal, an additional secretary rank officer in the
Cabinet Secretariat, sent a letter saying instructions were issued vide Office
Memorandum three times during the past seven years. “These memorandums were
sent on 01.09.2015, 06.02.2017 and 11.09.2019 directing that a copy of
the draft Cabinet/Cabinet Committee Note should invariably be forwarded to the
Prime Minister’s Office as well as Cabinet Secretariat at the time when notes
are sent for inter-material consultations.”
But these instructions are not followed by some ministries and
departments. The Cabinet Secretariat which is directly under the PMO. A fresh
letter was sent a couple of weeks ago asking the ministries to follow the
directions.
The fresh letter said, “It may be mentioned that adherence to
the prescribed procedure aids careful examination of note at all level and
rectification of inconsistencies contained in the proposal before they are
placed for consideration of Cabinet/Cabinet Committees." The note
urged the ministries to ensure that the notes are finalized in accordance with
the aforementioned guidelines and instructions.
It may be mentioned that the PM asked some ministers and
secretaries not to ignore background notes or other communications sent by the
National Security Council Secretariat and the National Security Adviser and
take them seriously. This happened when NSCS made a presentation to all
ministers and secretaries last week.
