Why the extension?

Sir, - The decision of the Government to amend the service rules to pave the way for continuing the services of Mr. T. R. Prasad as Cabinet Secretary beyond the date of his superannuation is a retrograde step. What is more intriguing is the claim of the Government that this step was taken in the public interest.

Mr. Prasad has served for eight months as Cabinet Secretary. Will it be possible for a officer who had such a short stint to make an impact on the public to warrant his continuance. To ensure smooth administration and to keep the morale of prospective successors among the senior bureaucracy, the Prime Minister should have resisted the attempt to continue him. The Government has exposed its inherent weakness.

A. Gopinath,

Hyderabad

Sir, - We are unable to understand why the Government wants to extend the term of the Cabinet Secretary when there is abundant manpower in the civil services. The decision comes even as the Government has paid huge amounts to the employees of public sector banks and other PSUs under voluntary retirement schemes to reduce staff strength. The Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, recently said that there was a proposal to introduce the scheme in the Central Government too. Many State Governments are also considering the VRS proposal.

Karavadi Raghava Rao,

Vijayawada

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