In the face of the growing responsibilities of the C.M., there is need for providing him with intensive and intelligent administrative assistance. Such assistance is provided by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, which is accountable only to him.

This organization ensures that the C.M.’s directives are implemented by various state and district agencies. In Rajasthan, the C.M.’s Secretariat was set up in 1951. It is headed by a secretary belonging to the selection/super-time scale of the I.A.S., who is assisted by deputy secretaries, OSDs, deputy directors, assistant secretaries, accounts officers, Statistical assistants and the Superintendent of Police (Vigilance).

The C.M.’s Secretariat looks after the functions relating to the tours and correspondence of the C.M., redressal of public grievances, management of the C.M.’s benevolent funds, and implementation of the C.M’s assurances and monitoring.

The Secretary to the C.M., while providing administrative assistance to the C.M., keeps confidential documents and correspondence, accompanies the C.M. on important tours, takes follow-up action on cabinet decisions, apprises the C.M. of major developments and issues helps him in the conduct of assembly work and supervises the staff of the C.M’s Secretariat. Moreover, he writes informal notes on all important files going to the Chief Minister to facilitate his making decisions.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

The post of the Secretary to the Chief Minister (in some states, he is called Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister), has acquired enormous status and influence in recent times. The rationale behind this phenomenon is the assumption that the Secretary to the Chief Minister is the alter ego of his the Chief Minister.

There have been occasions when the influence of a Secretary to the Chief Minister has been disproportionately more than that would be commanded by virtue of his seniority and status in the regular IAS hierarchy. In cases when even the Chief Secretary’s real power is compromised situation would lead to envy, silent acrimony and even demoralization among the services.

Therefore, the Secretary to the Chief Minister ought to be a person who is committed to the traditional civil service virtues of anonymity, impartiality and neutrality. And, the Chief Minister should also give the impression that he does not believe in by passing the normal channels of authority and responsibility