Report of The Administrative and Services Reorganisation Committee, Part-VI: Table of Contents, 1975

Abstract

On the' 15th of March, 1972, the Government decided to appoint a Committee with Professor Muzaffar Ahmed Choudhuri, the then Vice-Chancellor, Dacca University, presently Minister for Education, Scientific and Technological Research and Atomic Energy as Chairman to determine the policy regarding the fresh recruitment to the Government services., 2. As' the Members of the Committee, the Government decided to include the following r— (i) A representative'from the Planning Commission. (ii) Secretary, Ministry of ' Cabinet Affairs (Establishment ‘Division). iii) A political representative to be nominated by the then Prime Minister. 3. Professor Anisur Rahman,. Member,...Planning Commission was nominated by the Planning Commission to be a Member of the Committee. When he left the Planning Commission on the 1st of October, 1973, Professor Rehman’ Sobhan another member of the Commission was nominated by that Commission to be a member of this Committee. He ceased to be a member of this Committee when he left the Planning Commission on the 9th of- September, 1974. Mr. Abdul Muntaquim Choudhury, the then M.C.A., now Ambassador of Bangladesh in Japan, was nominated by the then Prime Minister to be ‘the Political Representative on the Committee. Mr. M. M. Zaman was initially a Member of the Committee in his capacity as Secretary, Ministry of Cabinet Affairs (Establishment Division). Later, lie was appointed as the whole time Metflber- Secretary of the-Committee. 4‘. Terms of reference of the Committee were later expanded as follows:— (a) To Consider the present structure of various services, both teclihical and non-technical, and determine 'the future structure keeping in, view the functional needs and requirements of the Government; (b) To consider the question of amalgamation of all the Civil Services (that is, services other than Defence) into one unified service; ( c) To determine the principles of integration of the personnel of various services in the new structure, and to. determine the inter se seniority of personnel of the different services having similar academic background and job experiences in the process of merger or amalgamation, in case some structural changes are envisaged; (d) To determine the future recruitment policy in the Govprn? ment services at .various levels keeping in view the educational and other job requirements; and (e) To prepare and recommend a comprehensive scheme for administrative reorganisation. 5. The Committee in the course of its examination of the issues heard the representations from 183 service associations, interviewed 13 Ministers and 55 high officials, viz., Secretaries to the Government and heads of autonomous organisations, sector corporations of nationalised enterprises, insurance, banking and other financial credit institutions. 6. The Committee- visited Chittagong and Rajshahi districts to study the district administration^, and to meet a cross section of; the public and the district officials. The Committee had also visited the U.S.S.R. on the invitation of the Soviet Government to obtain the first-hand knowledge about the administrative and service -structure existing in Soviet Russia. Joint meetings were held with the .National Pay Commission to exchange ideas and Views and to deliberate on pommon issues. One of these meetings was presided over by the then Prime Minister. 7'. In the course of its examination, the Committee found the existing services divided into too many distinct entities with artificial myalls, built around them with varying career prospects, lacking in professionalism and too much class and rank-oriented with very little opportunities, to rise to the top for those who started their career in the lower ranks. The service structure designed to serve a colonial, federal form of Government within a capitalist framework was found unsuitable for the independent, socialist, democratic and unitary Government and inadequate to meet the challenge of quick development and socialist reconstruction of the country. In these circumstances, the Committee felt the necessity of refashioning and restructuring die'Bangladesh Civil Service.1 It has, therefore, recommended a single classless continuous Unified Grading- Structure for the entire Civil Service of Bangladesh in which there will be no reservation of any post for any group, except for obvious technical reasons. The members. Of this Service will be required to acquire professionalism-.in chosen are&s of- administration, and there will be adequate opportunity for talented persons to quicjdy rise to the top from any level of the Service. The status of scientific, technical and artistic talents? teachers and field officers has been upgraded 8. On the administrative side, the Committee found the structure outmoded, the system sluggish and irresponsive to the people and thfe procedure complicated, confusing and ponderous. It has, therefore, ■recomme'nded a simpler structure with more rational distribution of work and responsibility with built-in arrangement for the quick disposal of business'>and positive response, to the people. f - 9. The fitst part of the Report^ which was submitted to the then Prime Minister on the 1st of Baishak, 1380, contained the proposals for the reorganisation .of the Services. "The .reorganisation' of the Services had to be taken up first in order to assist the National Pay Comn^issi&n in determining, the ,new pay scales. - 10. In the secoAd part of the Report which was submitted to the then Prime Minister on the 20th of Agrahayan 1380, recommendations liave been made ..regarding tlie reorganisation- of the Secretariat System and Procedure of Work, Ministerial and Departmental Organisation, and District and Local Government Administration. 11. Mr. Abdul Muntaquim Choudhury could not sigir Part II of thfer'Report' as he .had’to leave* for Tokyo to take up his ambassadorial appointment. The deliberations were, however, completed before he .left. 12. The third part of the Report, which is being submitted to the President along with the remaining parts of the Report^ deals with the issues relating to the simplification of procedure and forins in a few selected problem areas with a View 'to mitigate the difficulties the people have to face in their day to day dealings with the various offices of the Government, autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies because Of the cumbrous forms and complicated procedures of these organisations. 13. In the' fourth 'part of the Report, representations received from various Associations, Organisations and Group of p'ersons and individuals indicating their views5oti the "future Service Structure have been printed. .14. In the fifrh part of the Report, summary of recommendations made by the Committee in Parts I, II and III have been printed. 15. In the sixth part o£ the Report, the. table of contents of Parts I-V have been printed. <v 16. With the submission of these parts of the Report, the work of the Committee will come to an end. It may be recalled: that> the The committee was assisted by the NIPA staff and also by a; team >of Research Officers, Staff and Study Groups who did not spare themselves in carrying out their responsibility reposed in -them. The Committee, therefore, wishes to put on record its appreciation of the work done by them with all sincerity and efficiency.