Lawfully Yours: By Retired Justice K Chandru | Outsourcing of services and the use of green ink
Your legal questions answered by Justice K Chandru, former Judge of the Madras High Court Do you have a question? Email us atcitizen.dtnext@dt.co.in
Justice K Chandru
Outsourcing of services a decadent culture, needs to be deprecated
Q: After outsourcing some of the services of the Income Tax department, the Union government is introducing a lateral entry scheme for appointing top-level bureaucrats. This is happening amidst a pattern that shows outsourcing delivery of public services at multiple levels, including that of the e-seva centres. Even though government officials are not always public-friendly when it comes to the delivery of services, outsourcing it altogether might take away the onus on actions taken in things that affect the public. Do you think it is constitutionally allowed to permit private players to deliver such crucial services? R Vijayaragavan, Kodambakkam, Chennai
A: Why talk about the Income Tax department alone? Every department of the government is out to outsource even essential operations/services. Even the judiciary is no exception. Lateral entry into service is another gimmick played by the central government despite stiff opposition from officers.
The claim was to bring in talent and specialisation, which never materialised.
Previously service officers used to be sent for training in specialised areas and their services were used appropriately. The present move has resulted in frustration and demoralisation. Outsourcing is a decadent culture which has to be deprecated.
No law prohibits or grants exclusivity regarding signing in green ink
Q: I am a 73-year-old businessman. Since 1971, being fond of the colour green, I have been using green ink to put my signature in all my correspondence. Are there any restrictions on using green ink by persons like me? Kindly advise me in this regard. Sugas L Vijayakumar, Madipakkam
A: I remember a case argued by me of a college teacher who used to sign in green ink in his attendance register and was issued a memo by the college management. After his reply demanding the rule that prohibited signing with a pen filled with green ink, it was dropped. For a long time, the teachers of the schools used to demand that they be declared as gazetted officers and allowed to sign in green ink. But there are neither any rules prohibiting signing in green ink nor granting power for certain officers alone to sign in green.
