Netaji files: Nehru wanted to end culture of holiday trips masked as deputation by the Babus

India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was pretty cross with government officials masking holiday trips as deputations and wanted every penny to be counted. He picked this habit of the bureaucracy very early and many of his signed notes given in the recently declassified Netaji files reveal that he tried several times to curb this tendency that unfortunately is prevalent even now.

In some such notes Nehru is seen questioning this tendency with scathing remarks by directing his officers and ministers to utilise the acquired funds of India Independence League and INA for giving scholarship to Indian students instead of utilising it for funding trips of officials.

In a Prime Minister's Secretariat (file no. 23 (156)/ 51-PM) note addressed to the Cabinet Secretariat and copy marked to ministry of external affairs, Nehru writes on July 24, 1953, "I do not understand the way these so-called deputations are organised. Every holiday trip is treated as a deputation on business and the normal daily allowances and other charges are given. I do not think this is at all proper."

Here Nehru was dealing with the subject of what to do with the IIL and INA funds amounting to more than Rs 10 lakh that Indian embassies in different countries of South-East Asia had taken possession off. He was unhappy with both the ministry of education and external affairs for choosing government officials and sending them on long trips to these countries to give lectures.

Nehru apparently wanted this to be utilised for better purpose like giving scholarship to students, as the Prime Minister's Secretariat note dated August 27, 1953 substantiates. Nehru wrote, "I do not myself understand the particular advantage of some scholar from India going to Bangkok every year. There are many other ways in which we could have utilised this money to better advantage, for instance in giving scholarships to students…

Perhaps some scholarships for Indian in Thailand to come to India for education might have been more suitable."

Nehru allowed only one such strip that had already been decided by external affairs in consultation with education ministry, to send joint director general of Archaeological Survey of India, for delivering a series of lectures, but put some conditions to restrict the daily allowance.

"I am agreeable to Mr Ramachandran going and for the expenses to be paid from the funds apparently in the hands of the Indian Embassy in Bangkok. But I see no reason why any further payment should be made from India on this account. If, however, the Education Ministry thinks that this visit is important from the point of view of obtaining some artistic material, they should give him a lump sum. The question of daily allowance should not apply in such cases," wrote Nehru.

Nehru's persistent efforts did pay to break this nexus of pleasure trips, as is evident in subsequent correspondence.

In a cabinet note, the then additional secretary Humayun Kabir in education ministry not only made Ramachandran's trip count, but also fixed a cap of Rs. 3000 for the whole trip extending close to 30 days. In addition, a committee was constituted to pick Indian students in Singapore and Thailand for scholarships.