Varad
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Afghanistan? Babus wont go
- Pay of half-a-crore a year without tax, but officials dont respond
New Delhi, March 22: A luring offer of an annual income of more than half a crore in tax-free money has failed to sway Indian civil servants towards serving in strife-torn Afghanistan.
The bureaucrats reluctance is hurting New Delhis efforts to keep itself relevant in a country where it finds itself increasingly outmanoeuvred by Pakistan.
The Centre wants civil servants to serve for a year in Kabul to train their Afghan counterparts, as part of a UN project.
The department of personnel and training, in a circular dated 6 July, 2010, requested chief secretaries of state governments and secretaries at the Centre to inform eligible officers in their departments about the opportunity.
But after months of waiting and scant interest shown by civil servants from across the country, the department which monitors transfers and postings of civil servants issued another circular on March 4.
The terms and conditions are attractive. Civil servants from all central services with over 10 years of experience can apply for the yearlong deputation.
They will be paid $124,462 for the 12 months Rs 55.9 lakh a year or around Rs 4.6 lakh a month. The income will not be taxed.
The salary far outstrips that of Indias cabinet secretary, the highest-ranking bureaucrat, whose pay is around Rs 90,000 plus allowances.
The government signed a tripartite agreement last year with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Afghan government, committing to send Indian civil servants to Afghanistan under the National Institute Building Programme.
The project succeeded the Capacity for Afghan Public Service (CAP) programme that 29 Indian civil servants helped run in 2009, when they mentored and coached their Afghan counterparts.
The cost is being shared between India and the UNDP. But the situation in Afghanistan has changed for the worse.
The security of the Indian mission in Kabul, its consulates and residential quarters was increased after a February 2010 terrorist attack on two Kabul hotels rented by Indians.
The suicide attack killed six Indians, including two army officers. Both Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies had blamed the attack on the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Pakistans ISI.
More Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were deployed to secure Indian establishments and a decision was taken to construct perimeter walls.
Indians in Afghanistan were asked to travel in convoys with security personnel.
India had also asked the Afghan government to increase the presence of their security forces to safeguard Indians. At present, there are nearly 200 ITBP personnel in Afghanistan.
In October 2010, two Indians were killed when terrorists attacked the office of an Indian NGO in Kunar province in northeastern Afghanistan.
Two months later, the embassy in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif were put on alert after intelligence inputs of a possible terror strike on Indian interests.
Sources in the Indian security agencies say Pakistan-based terror outfits have changed their earlier strategy of attacking the Indian missions.
They now target Indians involved in development work such as doctors, engineers, civil servants and NGO workers.
Sources in the personnel department say the attacks have played a major role in dissuading civil servants from applying for the job.
According to the memorandum of understanding, Indian civil servants would advise Afghans on not just common functions of government like policy and strategy development but also in specific technical areas.
This would have helped build rapport between the civil servants of the two countries and Indians contributing to Afghan nation building, as Pakistan actively tries to influence Afghan President Hamid Karzais government to keep India out of his scheme of things.
New Delhis interest in the project stems from the short- and long-term importance of Afghanistan and the region with its immense mineral wealth and strategic location.
The presence of Indian civil servants and their striking bonds with their Afghan counterparts would have helped New Delhi establish a role in the Afghan governments policy.
India has spent over $1.3 billion in capacity-building and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan since 2007. At present, the Indian mission in Kabul has 19 diplomats and an equal number of support staff.
Hundreds of paramilitary personnel guard Indian infrastructure projects in the country.
Nearly 4,000 Indians are in Afghanistan and are mostly employed by multinational companies.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | Afghanistan? Babus won’t go
- Pay of half-a-crore a year without tax, but officials dont respond
New Delhi, March 22: A luring offer of an annual income of more than half a crore in tax-free money has failed to sway Indian civil servants towards serving in strife-torn Afghanistan.
The bureaucrats reluctance is hurting New Delhis efforts to keep itself relevant in a country where it finds itself increasingly outmanoeuvred by Pakistan.
The Centre wants civil servants to serve for a year in Kabul to train their Afghan counterparts, as part of a UN project.
The department of personnel and training, in a circular dated 6 July, 2010, requested chief secretaries of state governments and secretaries at the Centre to inform eligible officers in their departments about the opportunity.
But after months of waiting and scant interest shown by civil servants from across the country, the department which monitors transfers and postings of civil servants issued another circular on March 4.
The terms and conditions are attractive. Civil servants from all central services with over 10 years of experience can apply for the yearlong deputation.
They will be paid $124,462 for the 12 months Rs 55.9 lakh a year or around Rs 4.6 lakh a month. The income will not be taxed.
The salary far outstrips that of Indias cabinet secretary, the highest-ranking bureaucrat, whose pay is around Rs 90,000 plus allowances.
The government signed a tripartite agreement last year with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Afghan government, committing to send Indian civil servants to Afghanistan under the National Institute Building Programme.
The project succeeded the Capacity for Afghan Public Service (CAP) programme that 29 Indian civil servants helped run in 2009, when they mentored and coached their Afghan counterparts.
The cost is being shared between India and the UNDP. But the situation in Afghanistan has changed for the worse.
The security of the Indian mission in Kabul, its consulates and residential quarters was increased after a February 2010 terrorist attack on two Kabul hotels rented by Indians.
The suicide attack killed six Indians, including two army officers. Both Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies had blamed the attack on the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Pakistans ISI.
More Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel were deployed to secure Indian establishments and a decision was taken to construct perimeter walls.
Indians in Afghanistan were asked to travel in convoys with security personnel.
India had also asked the Afghan government to increase the presence of their security forces to safeguard Indians. At present, there are nearly 200 ITBP personnel in Afghanistan.
In October 2010, two Indians were killed when terrorists attacked the office of an Indian NGO in Kunar province in northeastern Afghanistan.
Two months later, the embassy in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Herat, Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif were put on alert after intelligence inputs of a possible terror strike on Indian interests.
Sources in the Indian security agencies say Pakistan-based terror outfits have changed their earlier strategy of attacking the Indian missions.
They now target Indians involved in development work such as doctors, engineers, civil servants and NGO workers.
Sources in the personnel department say the attacks have played a major role in dissuading civil servants from applying for the job.
According to the memorandum of understanding, Indian civil servants would advise Afghans on not just common functions of government like policy and strategy development but also in specific technical areas.
This would have helped build rapport between the civil servants of the two countries and Indians contributing to Afghan nation building, as Pakistan actively tries to influence Afghan President Hamid Karzais government to keep India out of his scheme of things.
New Delhis interest in the project stems from the short- and long-term importance of Afghanistan and the region with its immense mineral wealth and strategic location.
The presence of Indian civil servants and their striking bonds with their Afghan counterparts would have helped New Delhi establish a role in the Afghan governments policy.
India has spent over $1.3 billion in capacity-building and infrastructure projects in Afghanistan since 2007. At present, the Indian mission in Kabul has 19 diplomats and an equal number of support staff.
Hundreds of paramilitary personnel guard Indian infrastructure projects in the country.
Nearly 4,000 Indians are in Afghanistan and are mostly employed by multinational companies.
The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | Afghanistan? Babus won’t go
