2nd Kerala ARC (Administrative Reorganization and Economy Committee 1965)
Terms of Reference
- The distribution of functions between the State Government and local authorities.
- The logical and convenient allocation of work among the different departments of the Government.
- The organisation of departments at all levels, State, Region, District and below.
- The constitution and the structure of the State and the Subordinate Services.
- The delegation of administrative and financial powers among the officers of the Government at different levels.
- The expenditure on travelling allowance, supplies and services and contingencies and on construction of buildings.
- The existing pattern of subsidies and grants-in-aid and its rationalisation.
Recommendations
1. Strengthening of Panchayat Raj; Grama panchayats to be identical with the revenue village, and taluk panchayat co-terminus with reorganised taluk, which will be smaller than an existing taluk but larger than block. The directorate of municipalities and the directorate of panchayats to be abolished and the District Collector given the powers of the Director. Funds to Panchayats to be given based on a formula with reduction in allocation if there is a shortfall in the realisation of panchayat’s own revenues.
2. Differing from the first Administrative Reforms Committee, the Taluk Panchayats are to be given developmental functions and the District Panchayats made advisory. Also, bringing of village office under the panchayat is not found desirable. Similarly, entrustment of agency functions in respect of health and education to be done with caution.
3. The District Collectors’ role as the representative of the Government at the district level to be strengthened with practically every development and regulatory officer functioning as P.A. to Collector. Even in law and order, the assessment of the local situation should be the responsibility of the Collector. In order to reduce the revenue work of the Collector, the post of the District Revenue Officer to be created. Posting of senior officers at least with 10 years’ service as Collectors and to be given a minimum tenure of 3 to 4 years. A policy of sending Secretaries to Government to the Districts after a ten-year tenure in the Secretariat to be initiated.
4. The following departments to be merged/reorganised
a) Diary Development with Animal Husbandry b) Weights and Measures with Labor c) Soil Conservation with Agriculture d) Geology with Industries e) State Insurance with Treasuries f) Home Guards, Fire Force and Civil Defence with Police g) Single Head of Department for Presses and Stationery h) A new Department for Cultural affairs for subjects like Archaeology, Museums and Zoos, Tourism etc. i) The Regional Offices of the departments of Culture, Fisheries, Employment, Factories and Boilers and Panchayats to be abolished. j) The Revenue Department of the Secretariat to be abolished and the First and Second Members of Board of Revenue given function as Secretaries to Government.
5. Appropriate Secretariat status to be given to heads of department with powers to send files to the Chief Secretary or the Minister direct in certain cases, with the condition that on return, they will be routed through the Secretary to Government. For this they are to be assisted by a Secretariat wing with the secretariat staff located in the office of the head of the department.
6. Finance wings to be attached to the Secretaries to Government in the Administrative Secretariat, who will be involved right from the formulation of schemes.
7. Recruitment to ministerial cadre to be made for groups of departments based on prospects of promotion. There should be recruitment at intermediate levels and the proportion of the direct recruits should be fixed as 40%.
8. Constitution of Kerala Administrative Service.
9. Staff Councils to be constituted in all departments.
10. Discipline and punctuality to be ensured.
11. Fixing of work load as 10 currents in the Office of heads of department, 12 currents in the district offices and 15 currents in the sub-district offices. This would result in reduction of 5% of the number of clerks. The strength of peons to be reduced by 1/5th, wherever the strength is 5 or more. Ratio for supervisory ministerial officers’ vis-à-vis clerks to be as follows: a) Secretariat 1: 6 b) Heads of Departments 1: 8 c) District Office 1: 10 d) Sub-district Office 1: 12
12.The efficiency of the department not to be judged by its expenditure, but by the output measured in relation to inputs. There should be machinery for internal audit of receipts.
13.The heads of department to have freedom to sanction individual schemes within approved programmes, up to Rs.1 lakh.
14.Gazetted Officers to be authorised to draw salaries without authorisation by the Accountant General.
15.In addition, the Committee recommended reduction of staff category-wise in most of the departments.