My Years in Service

Challenging days as Deputy Resident Commissioner Nagaland House, New Delhi  CONTINUED-44... SEAT RENT COLLECTION NORMS: In this sector no system seems to have been laid down. As a result the seat rents collected were being misused at various levels for various purposes like giving bad loans to guests in trouble (who would never return the same) or buying smaller items for the guest house etc. The rent was also not being submitted regularly to the office, by the Managers. The amount received by the office was also not being deposited to the Treasury for months on end. Rent collected for the period 1.4.87 to 6.7.88 was only Rs.74,020/- for both the houses put together OFFICERS/STAFFS DISCIPLINE: The word CASUAL perhaps best describes the earlier attitude of the staffs in the two houses. After a general meeting was held, sectoral responsibilities were fixed for each categories of staffs for strict observance and compliance. Each staff was assured that his legitimate problems would be given fair priority and attention, but that the moment they begin political string pulling to get their way, such staff would be given no quarters at all and warned against opposite reaction instead. Mr. John Ao, was one of those victims of misbehaviour. It has been a pity to note that the Home Department has been unwittingly backing such a staff to the hilt, without giving the DRC even an opportunity to explain some of the destabilising drawbacks. This much I will say that a section of our staffs still suffer from this disease of destabilisation. In as far as the middle rank management officers were concerned, it was noted that they were not in the habit of co-ordinating the information and direction passed down to them for implementation. As a result, it would invariably happen that when transport is sent to the Airport for a pickup, the officers coming to the house would find no rooms being allotted to them for stay and vice versa. The immediate reaction of many officers was to show their annoyance to the first unlucky staff accosted and thereafter, contact the DRC with a heavy sore throat and infect him with high blood pressure. In order to avoid recurrence of such unpleasant incidents, the Manager and the Protocol Officer were strictly warned that each was to inform the other and ensure co-ordinated services. Since these two key officials also appeared not to be on talking terms with each other, the matter was immediately sorted out in a joint sitting wherein they were told in no uncertain term that their personal differences should not come in the way of duties to be performed. Since then, each of them has been careful not to default on this issue. Surprisingly their personal relationship seem to have seen some improvement. According to the grapevines, Mr. Jain(the Manager) and Mr. Pahwa (the Protocol Officer) have been seen sitting together over a cup of tea in the office. This has been one of the hottest news perhaps, of this establishment this year. The Manager now checks in on the house every morning and evening to ensure all things are in order. The arrival/departure information is not only submitted to the DRC on a daily basis, but passed between the two officers. The daily room allotment is scrutinised and finalised by the DRC each day, based on seniority, protocol etc. and the final list is placed with the Receptionist for information to the guest on arrival. In this sphere we now have lesser problems. ROOM MANAGEMENT NORMS: This is perhaps the most touchy and unpleasant part of the responsibility which the DRC has to handle. To say the least, no laid down priority or norm was being followed strictly. By experience it was found that the problem areas would invariably come from the VIPs/ Senior official’s “better halves” coming to Delhi without their “other official halves”. They would insist and be accommodated in the VIP rooms. When this past practice was discontinued, there was a lot of fireworks in the beginning. “WE WILL SEE HIM” (the DRC), was an old angry chorus that used to be sung frequently those days. The situation has now somehow boiled down to normal with some measure of appreciable sanity and understanding setting in. Wives of VIPs or Officers are being given general rooms with due courtesy and assistance when they come on their own, but the past practice of giving VIP rooms with attached pool vehicles has since been stopped. SEAT RENT COLLECTION NORMS: In this sector no system seems to have been laid down. As a result the seat rents collected were being misused at various levels for various purposes like giving bad loans to guests in trouble (who would never return the same) or buying smaller items for the guest house etc. The rent was also not being submitted regularly to the office, by the Managers. The amount received by the office was also not being deposited to the Treasury for months on end. Rent collected for the period 1.4.87 to 6.7.88 was only Rs.74,020/- for both the houses put together. With the change in formality and system, the rent so collected is now being deposited with the Accountant every week. The management has been instructed to issue rent receipts to each guest, whether he/she asks for it or not. The daily room occupancy list is submitted to the DRC each day as a counter measure. With the enforcement of this new approach, the revenue collection has shown marked improvement. Our present figure of earning stands at Rs.3,16,687.00/- for the period 7th July 88 to 24th July 1989. It would perhaps be advisable if the same approach is maintained even in the future. Prompt deposit of rent into the Treasury at least saves the DRC from telling a lie to potential loan sharks with questionable habits, and therefore strongly recommended. Deviation from this would be bad medicine and inviting unnecessary trouble. One other point that needs reflection in the room allotment sector, is the case of VIPs in the Central Ministry frequently requesting for accommodation in Nagaland House for their “very close personal friends” who normally do not happen to be Govt. servants. While we have catered to their requests when such persons seeking accommodation are Govt. servants, the non-official categories have been very politely refused. It tends to otherwise upset all balance of room allotment norms. The past experience amply reveal that our local officers on duty have been unable to stomach such situations where they were refused accommodation on grounds that non-Govt. personals connected to Mr. So & So VIPs have been given priority over them. And rightly so. Therefore it is best avoided, barring perhaps few, very few exceptions, the merit of which will have to be decided by the DRC at his own risk. Not the best of position to be caught in, but that’s the way the game is played here. Of course my successor is at liberty to change the game plan to his taste. TELEPHONE MANAGEMENT: The use of house phone was a “free for all” situation when I took over. Monthly bills averaging Rs.40 - 60,000/- per phone per month was being merrily piled up, with the ultimate exception of a bill of Rs.96,000/- in one instance, from VIP Room No.4 for one month. We had been paying up promptly for fear of disconnection, without making any effort to enforce some restrictive measures in the use of these contraptions...with or without budget to meet the expenditure. Our bills between 1-4-87 to 6-7-88 on telephone bills alone had come up to Rs.8,70,538.00/-. A stop was put to the “free for all” system, whereby all STD/trunk calls were allowed only with the permission of the DRC. The situation could however still not be contained, since many showed unscrupulous attitudes of making STD calls in the sly without permission. We had to finally inform the Govt. of the criticality of our expenditure and requested the Govt. for disconnection of the STD lines from all the house phones. The Govt. for a change promptly agreed and immediate disconnection operation took place. As expected, the VVIPs found this to be most inconvenient and therefore STD facility was restored for VIP Room.No.1 (with extended line to Room No. 7 only). This is where it stands today. The norms being imposed currently is for the guests to get their clearance from the DRC for any trunk calls. Official communications are allowed free of charge, but is charged for the private calls. Since then, we have registered an amount of Rs.12,639.50p as receipt for the private call charges. It has been a tiny beginning, but a beginning nevertheless, since the past years show NIL recovery for such a thing as trunk call utilisation charges. It is nothing much to write home about, but for our telephone bills between 7-7-88 to 7-7-89 came up to Rs.3,20,622/- as against Rs.8,70,538.00/- for the period 1-4-87 - 6-7-88. The marginal reduction of expenditure of expenditure in this sector was accompanied by sever breathing problems for the management, because many were not particularly happy or pleasant about the imposition of these restrictive measures. Some were prone to polluting the air, (at the initial stages) at the slightest provocation or no provocation at all. This account is not intended to discourage my successor, but to strengthen his resolve and to pre-condition his mind and nose that there is nothing to get worried about...he will get used to the smell. STAFF MANAGEMENT: The service being rendered by the management staffs of this establishment has shown a reasonable trend for the better. The bearers respond to the bell more promptly, and are more respectful to the guests in general. They have been repeatedly made to understand that whomsoever have been allowed by the DRC for stay in the House, have to be treated with due respect, even if his/her face is tattooed all over or wearing a “lengta”. However there is no alternative to surprise check-ins by DRC himself, as frequently as possible, for keeping the staffs on their toes. The writer is a retired IAS Officer. Forest Colony, Kohima