Bureaucrats caught off-guard, worried

By V. Jayanth

CHENNAI, SEPT. 22. More than the AIADMK Ministers and functionaries, the bureaucrats are a worried lot following the sudden change of guard at the Secretariat. Though the transition is expected to be smooth, there seem to be many imponderables, in the weeks and months ahead, which the officials are concerned at.

With the new Chief Minister, Mr. O. Paneerselvam, describing himself as a `temporary head', the confusion has only heightened in Fort St. George. The position may become clearer in the next few days when they get to know about his functioning.

The general expectation among the bureaucrats is that the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), set up by Ms. Jayalalithaa with handpicked officials, which continues to function from Poes Garden as well, will become a bridge between ``today and yesterday''. As long as it continues to be so, the CMO may also provide a sort of continuity in administration.

``Without doubt, the decisions will still be made in Poes Garden. Except for an odd case or two, the officials are now in place and have been given clear directions by Ms. Jayalalithaa during her month-long interaction or review with all departments. So the direction and the thrust are clear'', senior officials explain.

While the top bureaucrats may continue to receive `instructions' from Poes Garden, it is the middle-rung which may find it difficult to function under the new circumstances. The officials say many of the Ministers, who are new to the job and even to the legislature, have not fully settled down or come to grips with the job.

The Secretaries to Government have come to like Ms.Jayalalithaa's style of administration and found it ``interesting and comfortable'' to deal directly with her. Those who have had no direct access may find it difficult to operate in the changed context.

They are hoping that with the passage of time, the new Cabinet will evolve its own system of functioning. Ms. Jayalalithaa too should be able to decide how she will ``guide'' the Government. One suggestion that has been made is that Mr. Paneerselvam could himself shift his residence to Poes Garden, to facilitate the ``process of decision-making''.

That will make it ``so much easier for all concerned'', as one official put it. A close relative of his already has a house in Poes Garden, a stone's throw from Ms. Jayalalithaa's bungalow.

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