Cool-off period for R K Singh, Satya Pal Singh entering politics debated

NEW DELHI: The decision of former Home Secretary R K Singh and Mumbai Police Commissioner Satya Pal Singh to join politics has once again brought up the question of whether there should be a cooling-off period for civil servants to join active politics after leaving the government.

While RK Singh joined the BJP immediately upon his retirement , the police commissioner took voluntary retirement to join the saffron party and was seen within days at a rally in Meerut, making his intention to contest elections clear. There are also reports that former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai is not averse to joining politics.

Nearly a month ago , India’s former Permanent Representative at the UN Hardeep Puri joined the BJP. Puri, though, joined politics ten months after his retirement . Another senior diplomat , Pawan Verma, resigned in October 2012, more than one year before his retirement , to join the JD(U).

Some Congress leaders also had a past as civil servants. They include K Natwar Singh, Mani Shankar Aiyar and JN Dixit. KR Narayanan joined the Grand Old Party after retirement and went on to become India’s President. While bureaucrats have a two-year cooling-off period before joining the private sector, nothing prevents them from moving to politics immediately after retirement.

Since senior officials are privy to sensitive information, the Election Commission had suggested the introduction of a coolingoff period for officers who want to join politics.

HOUSE PANEL FOR CHECKS

The government should without delay come out with guidelines to check post-retirement jobs by senior officials who held vital posts, so that sensitive information is not divulged, a parliamentary committee has said. The Committee took note of concerns and felt that the possibility of senior officials, who hold vital posts, being influenced by extraneous factors.