Former IAAS officer Haraprasad Das

Bhubaneswar: The much touted 5T initiative of Naveen Patnaik government has opened a new controversy with a former national auditor chiding two former Indian Civil Service officers who have become politicians on the issue.

Former Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IAAS) officer Haraprasad Das has berated Aparjita Sarangi, former IAS officer who has become BJP MP now, and Arup Patnaik, former IPS officer who has now become a top leader in BJD, for their verbal duel on 5T.

Taking a dig at Odisha government’s 5T initiative, Aparajit had said that there was nothing new in it. “We were taught about 5T in our training at Mussoorie”, she said. Replying to her, Arup Patnaik, who got defeated from her in the last Lok Sabha elections, had said sarcastically that they were only taught left and right and how to parade.

Das, a former chief comptroller and auditor general , has castigated the two former Indian civil service officers for their poor understanding of 5T.

In an write up published in Odia vernacular daily on Monday, Das has stated that the two bureaucrats turned politicians have created confusion in the mind of the people about the 5T.

“One said 5T is not new. We were taught during the training. Other said, I didn’t know anything about it. We were only doing drill during training.”

Lambasting the BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, the former auditor has said, “The politician who said it was taught during training was not correct. That means she did not know what is the meaning of 5T.” ” And”, targeting the BJD top politician, he slammed, “Who said he had not taught during the training, did not said what he understand from this 5T.”

” It was clear from the face off between the two political leaders that they neither understand the philosophy of Modi nor Naveen. Unfortunately, such lack of clarity in implementation of 5T has created doubt in public space.

Das, who is better know as a poet and a original thinker in elite circle in the country, has suggested that the time in 5T be replaced with trust. He has also given a new meaning to transformation in 5T.

“The time and transformation are not the proper parameters to measure the efficiency. Time limit can not be codified when it comes to health sector. By what time a doctor will complete his check up and when the patient will get cured can not be said. Similarly, how can the contribution of a service providers to the transformation of things be measured.”

He has suggested that instead of time and transformation, there should be trust and transformation . Which means whether the service provider has won the trust of the beneficiaries. Transformation means whether the efficiency of the service provider has changed the work culture of the institution? According to him, people’s ownership does not means efficiency of government employees rather trustworthiness of the institution and transformation of work culture imbibing sensitiveness, impartiality, speedy implementation and positive changes.

Das has said both Modi and Naveen are committed for a New India and New Odisha. They think alike when it comes to change the society and build a dependable institution.

“But, but immature politicians and useless bureaucrats may make it a fragile and failure”, he has cautioned urging people, ” Sagacious citizens! Be vigilant.”