FLOODS: COMMITTEES, MEETINGS AND FACT FINDING MISSIONS

Day 1	The Minister Sahib is taking breakfast at 1300 hours in his personal Kothi (large bungalow) when an official bearer serving him whispers into his ear; Sir jee, a newspaper has published a report against you about flood havoc. What? Misinter Sahib looks blankly at the bearer. Jee, Sir jee. The paper accuses you as responsible for a deliberate breach in the in the protective bund (embankment) of river on the left bank to drown the poor and save your precious agricultural lands on the right bank. The bearer went on saying. Without taking a glance at the newspaper the Minister Sb picks up cell phone and calls his Personal Secretary. What’s this nonsense in the newspaper against me? You know that it was a government decision in the larger national interest to breach the bund on left bank instead of right because it is less populated and has less irrigated agriculture. You are absolutely right Sir, but you know this media, PS surrenders. I want a meeting on this issue today at 1700 hrs positively. Invite all concerned officers including Secretary Sahib of my Ministry. Keep media away from it, Minister roared. Yes Sir, replies the PS.
Meeting 1	Later in the evening, the meeting starts at 1900 hrs at arrival of the Minister. Minister yells; you all know that we have been working round the clock during the current floods to save poor people from the devastation and ensure that minimum loss is occurring to a common man but instead of lauding our efforts media is hurling allegations on us. After a long sermon of nearly half an hour, the Minister Sb grunts again; let’s formulate a ‘Fact Finding Committee’ to investigate the issue, fix the responsibility and submit its recommendations. And I tell you, Minister speaks firmly, no one would be spared if found guilty irrespective of their positions. With this Minister Sb announces that Committee will work under the chairmanship of Secretary, with Joint Secretary (JS) and the concerned Chief Engineer (CE) assisting him as members. Committee would submit its report within 15 days positively. After the meeting Secretary Sb whispers into Minister’s ear; Sir, we are scheduled to take a week long foreign visit on an official assignment next week. What to do with this Committee? Secretary Sb, you are a bureaucrat and you know better than me how to deal with in such situations, Minister Sb smiles meaningfully. He continues again; let things settle down, let people cope with the flood by themselves and let media shift its concentration to some other burning issue like Dharna (Sit-ins), terrorism or sectarianism. We would work according to our own pace. Are you getting me now? Minister looks piercingly into Secretary’s eyes. Yes sir, Secretary smiles mischievously. And yes, arrange Committee’s fact finding visit to the area before we depart for our foreign visit, Minister advises Secretary.
Day 2	A notification is issued from the Minister’s office on formation of high level Committee to probe into causes of flood in the vast adjoining area on left bank of the river. The Secretary heads the Committee while JS and CE are members assisting him.
Day 5, Fact Finding Mission of High Level Committee	The high level Committee undertakes the visit on a helicopter to get bird’s eyes view of flooded plains for estimation of losses. The helicopter also lands at one pre-planned spot, a makeshift Relief Camp where food, water, medicines, etc., are distributed to the ‘chosen’ affected people with buttery promises that emergency would be declared in the area; their houses would be rebuild, taxes on agricultural outputs waived off, roads reconstructed and hospitals/schools reopened shortly. And it is also revealed to disaster-hit people about the Committee’s formation to fix the responsibility on the officials involved in the heinous criminal act of breaching the river without prior notice to the masses living there.  After the visit, the convey flies to the UNESCO declared national wild park for hunting wild animal and birds, a place, where hunting is prohibited to preserve the endangered animals and birds from extinction. All the costs associated with this visit (except helicopter rent) are borne by the CE through a contractor who is promised of award of contract for rehabilitation works.
Day 36, Meeting 2: Formation of Sub-Committee	A month later when much of the hue and cry of flood affected population has died down to the deaf ears of all concerned high ranked officers, the Minister and Secretary are discussing floods and the Committee. Did you write field inspection report? Minister asks Secretary. Yes Sir, the report will be annexed with the main report. And How is the situation on ground? Sir, he replies, flood is no more there. People have started returning to their respective houses to repair them. The contractor has started the rehabilitation works of bund etc on verbal instructions of CE. The formalities will follow concurrently. So, how do you go about the Committee’s recommendations? Minister inquires again. Sir, I have issued a notification on constitution of Sub-Committee headed by a Superintending Engineer (SE), with an Executive Engineer (XEN) and a Tehsil-dar as members.
Day 42, Meeting 3	Xen and Tehsil-dar attend office of the SE. You know I’m heading the Sub-Committee to ascertain the cause of breach and collateral damage to the area, says SE. Yes Sir, reply both. Depute one of your Sub Divisional Officers (SDO) and a Patwari to the affected area for this purpose and prepare report on my behalf, SE instructs both. Sure Sir, both reply humbly with right hands on their respective chests.
Day 43, Meeting 4: Formation of Low Level  Fact Finding Mission 2	SDO Sb is visiting his boss’s office, the XEN. I’m here Sir, says SDO. Yaar, apne kisi Overseer ya Darogha ko survey keliye bhejo flooded area me (depute your subordinate for survey of the area). Ask him to take along a Patwari. Prepare the report in 2 days. And yes, fix the responsibility of breach on any of your field staff. We’ll decide how to save him and reinstate his job, directs XEN.
Day 50, Fact Finding Mission 2	SDO and the Patwari visit the area for the preparation of the report. Overseer and his staff arrange the tour, with lunch at a local landlord’s house. SDO and Patwari spend a week in getting the report prepared. For this purpose, they hire the services of a seasoned and retired ‘stenographer’ for translation of the report from local language to English and getting it typed as well. The report, which bears the names of XEN and Tehsil-dar, is then handed over to XEN.
Day 57, Meeting 5	XEN and Tehsil-dar are present in the meeting with the SE, while SDO, Overseer and Patwari wait outside. So, you have finalized the report, SE glances at a fairly thick document placed on his table. What’s in it? Who are responsible? SE asks while turning pages, glancing at the pictures of the flooded area attached with the report. Sir, XEN replies, we have investigated the matter thoroughly and arrived at a conclusion that breach on left bank bund occurred due to high flood with excessive velocity of water in the river. But the real damage was caused by the wild rodents (mice) and mongooses, which dug deep holes in the banks/bunds. River bunds were already under a tremendous pressure therefore, water seeped through these holes and ripped apart the weakened bund. But our staff carries out inspection on the banks during emergency! They should have taken remedial measures to avoid this calamity! SE reminds XEN. Yes Sir, we have found out that our staff; the Overseer, Daroghas, and Beldars have committed gross negligence in this respect and were neither performing their duties seriously nor showing due diligence. And, what are your recommendations, asks SE. Sir, XEN says, the report recommends suspension of above officials from the service, and the establishment of an enquiry committee under code of conduct to investigate the matter for officials’ criminal negligence or otherwise. Okay, I’ll share this report with CE and seek his further instructions and guidance, says SE.
Day 72, Meeting 6	SE is briefing CE about the report.  Sir, we have finalized it and have also fixed the responsibility on our staff for being careless and negligent. If report approved, they would be suspended from the service till an enquiry committee to prove our charges against them or it may absolve/clear them of any such wrongdoing. CE takes a look at the report, asks for improvement in the quality of text, grammar and pictures. Print an improved draft copy for discussing the same with JS before presenting it to the Secretary Sb, CE advises SE.
Day 100, Meeting 7	CE and JS are sitting with Secretary Sb on finalization of flood report. Secretary Sb instructs them to prepare an executive summary of this report on behalf of the high level committee and annex the sub-committee’s report with it.   And yes, Secretary Sb warns sternly, fix at least a 17-Grade SDO responsible for this flood fiasco. This would release pressure on senior officers and the report would get an approval nod from the Minister Sb.
Day 130, Meeting 8. Final Report	The high level committee report, duly signed by Secretary Sb, JS and CE is presented to the Minister Sb for his perusal and further instructions i.e. issuance to the government, and/or media. File the report in office record without releasing to anyone especially media, Minister Sb issues directions. People have short memory and there are serious issues cropping up every day for a common man, Minister Sb continues, no one remembers now if flood ever played havoc in the area about 6 months ago.