Honest Officers and Officials
Author: Pradeep Shanker
During my 39 years of government service, I have met & seen many “Honest Officers & Officials“. I have seen different meanings of “Honesty” through their working. Broadly I have met different types of “Honest” Honest Officers & Officials. Some of them pleased me, some made me sad & some were too indifferent to react.
I can categorize them in different groups.
- Honest Officers/Officials who think all others are corrupt & have holier than thou attitude.
- Honest Officers/Officials who don’t work & don’t take decisions because they are “honest“.
- Honest Officers/Officials who who never work, never come in time, never at seat, never accept responsible position but claim credit if work is done.
- Honest Officers/Officials who are personally honest & never take even a penny but never put deterrent in the way of corrupt sub-ordinate.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never ask or demand anything in lieu of work but never refused hospitality of “Any Kind” if offered.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never believe in 3-W (Wealth, Wine & Women) but always interested in only last 2-Ws.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never take penny but accept gifts of all kinds.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never refuse unjust orders to please their Bosses even if they know that Boss has taken bribe & that order is not in public welfare.
- Honest Officers/Officials who are always “Honest” with ladies only.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never miss even a single occasion to take all officials benefits such as Car, Officials Residence (in-spite of having their own house), LTC, undue medical benefits (even if he or his family members are not ill) etc list is long.
- Honest Officers/Officials who remain in study tours for most of service period but never work in the field they are specially trained.
- Honest Officers/Officials who refuse to work in public as public may make them corrupt.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never take bribe but always use their officials position to get “Special Discounts” from shopkeepers under their jurisdiction through their subordinates.
- Honest Officers/Officials who do not take bribe but never refuse costly gifts at their children’ birthday, marriage, marriage anniversaries & even at funerals of their parents.
- Honest Officers/Officials who never delay a file because the concerned person has not given “something”.
- Honest Officers/Officials who use to take bribe from rich clients only if offered & but never take a single penny or gift from needy & helpless people rather helped them financially too.
- Lusty Honest Officers/Officials who take work as worship but remain as “Lotus” in the mud.
Well Dear Readers, you may yourself decide “Who are Honest Officers/Officials” among the above list & “Who must be given full protection.”
I hope you too must have seen & met many Honest Officers/Officials. Please share your experience without naming them.
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A retired employee. Keen watcher of social life. Likes to read book & interact with people. Very spiritual but not religious.
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Good analysis. Yes indeed Honesty has various shades through perceptions.
Yes. The whole society is like this and employees are no exception. Personal Honesty which comes through following high ideals have been given a go-by at least 5 to 6 generations now, because of the lure to a materialistic world. When individual is not satisfied with just the needs , it ends up in greed and as a society in every walk of life, people tend to beg, borrow or steal and a class which has not been mentioned here nepotism – favouritism shown to family members.
Answer is moral values should be inculcated in early and tender age in a society and we as individuals practice honesty in every day life to show to the next generation.
Ramachandran V Bangalore 13 01 2014
Honest & corrupt are everywhere. At least you can account government officers, but who will control corrupt officers in Corporate?
Sir,Satire lis hilarious in simple words.Actually these kind of honest officials founf in all Government organization. Enjoyed the article. Bang on.Laughed nd sad both.Writer classifieds brilliantly.
The perception of honesty differs from person to person according to their training and education.What is honesty for one is dishonesty for others.If one strictly goes by perks and privilages attached to the office he occupies is not dishonesty but one can argue that such perk and privilages not befitting his responsibilities he discharges.There can be umpteen examples.My standard is ” Take as much as is required for comfirtable living”But somebody may find fault with this minimum take also.I would love the learned Author enlightens me.
I appreciate author’ honest analysis.He has done his best.
I fully agree with you Sir. Take & give something back too. This give & take makes society rich & cultured.
I shall give you an example of honesty.After installing Chandragupta Maurya,Chankya became his Prime Minister for sometime.As a sanyasi,he still lived on Bhiksha collected by his disciples.He used oil lamp of the government for state work only.Rest of the time,he used lamp which used to burn on oil collected on bhiksha.So nobody is honest as Chankya was because every one cannot be Chankya.
Very good example.