Minister, secretary tiff

This, unfortunately, is symptomatic of the lack of coordination and communication between top functionaries of our ministries. Otherwise, how does one explain the dramatic confrontation between the Minister of Health and an ex secretary of the ministry? And all these revolve around the minister's claim of ignorance of everything related to the process of decision-making and issuing of the government circular regarding raising of hospital charges.

Several questions arise from this episode. First, did the minister actually have no idea that a policy change was being formulated in his ministry in a process that was spread over more than a year and which involved other ministries also? Second, is he merely feigning ignorance? Even then it must be understood that ignorance of the activities of those under one's charge is unacceptable. Third, perhaps the minister is blaming it on his former secretary, out of political consideration. Fourth, that there is a genuine miscommunication between the minister and his chief executive officer. Fifth, why is it that it was from press reports that the minister came to know of the order when a copy of the same was endorsed to his office also?

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We have to stretch our sense of credulity to the extreme to believe that the minister was completely in the dark about the matter; that the secretary's claims that all the meetings and decisions were within the knowledge of the minister is in fact not true. One wonders what could have been the secretary's motivation in taking such a decision, including seeking the approval of the finance ministry behind his minister's back?

This is indeed a good example of how a ministry should not function. Perhaps conforming to rules of business would avoid such embarrassment for the government in future.