Bureaucratic misadventure 'gags' the reputation of govt

It was misadventure of a few bureaucrats that had grilled Raje government over the gag ordinance that created furore across the country. The controversial ordinance has seriously damaged the goodwill and reputation of Raje and her government. 

According to informed sources, the original draft ordinance didn't have the clause that put restrictions on media. But sources say that C S Rajan, vice chairman of  Chief Minister Advisory Council, with the help of law secretray and principal home secrtary Deepak Upreti, got the clause inserted without taking the cabinet and Chief minister in particular into confidence. The CMO was also reportedly not taken into loop while moving the ordinance file. 

The state government then sen the file to the union home ministry for the final approval. It was done in a record time as C S Rajan used his 'moral influence' in clearing the file without any amendment. After that the ordinance was introduced in the assembly attracting countrywide protest particularly over the clause on media gag. Amid the controversy, a top civil servant, who was considered close to Raje, again advised her to go ahead with the ordinance, which however was put down by the CM. 

After this episode, a closed group of bureaucrats is said to have lost the credibility and CM's trust.  The Chief minister had  asked the then chief secretary Ashok Jain to initiate enquiry into this 'fiasco' and fix the responsibility. But respecting the cadre camaraderie, the enquiry went into the cold storage.  People were expecting Raje to name the person behind the 'gag order' in the assembly while replying but it seems the enquiry still continues.            

This entire incident only shows that there are some bureaucrats on top who have masterminded the art of 'overpowering' the chief minister in certain sensitive matters irrespective of the party in power.