TIPS FOR BDO ( Friendly Advice)

There is a wide gap between what is imparted to the WBCS officers during WBCS-probation period and what comes across the field. The promotee WBCS officers do not have the scope to go through even the incomplete course. Here are some tips(friendly advice) for those WBCS officers who begin their career as BDO.

WHEN A BDO SHOULD YOU :

1. ADMINISTRATION: Maintain separate identity of the BDO. BDO’S establishment should have a clear demarcation and BDO’s chamber should be located in such a manner so that the earstwhile RD set-up and sections like Election, Establishment are accommodated as closely as possible for a better monitoring and access. When you take charge as a BDO you should verify:
1. that there is no expenditure pending for entry in the concerned Cash Book.
2. that the amount of Closing Balance in both the cash books in conformity with the concerned statement of the details of Cash Analysis (item-wise Account);
3. that re-conciliation of PL Account and Bank Passbook, if any, is up-to-date and there is no discrepancy between the balance in cash books and that in pass book.
4. the Advance Registers and Stock Registers are properly maintained and the entries are duly authenticated ( sample check if cent percent verification is not possible should be conducted physically).
5. that the Dead Stock Register is up-to-date and duly authenticated.
When you take over charge, take charge of the Drawing and Disbursing Officer(DDO) also. Discharge the duty of D.D.O. for a good period and then delegate the power to the Joint B.D.O. under S.R. 96, unless you find it reasonably inconvenient. All contingent expenditure should however be incurred under your prior approval. Cash Books should be physically verified with the amount of cash etc. once in a month and the verification recorded in the cash book.
2. INTER- PERSONNEL RELATIONSHIP:
   1. With Office Staff :- You may find a number of vacancies in your Office. Sometimes you may not have Block Livelihood Development Officer and as such the Block Relief Officer may be dealing with Self-help Group matters. So proper distribution of work among available officials is very important. Review the performance at least once in a month, in the form of monthly conference, appreciate the achievement openly. Discuss privately about the failure, evolve a mechanism to rectify and if it is still does not work take steps against the erring officials. The Office staff should be treated as your family members and yourself as the Head of the family. Deal at par with them to begin with and if you feel that some are not dependable at all, so far as the official duty is concerned, isolate them gradually from the main stream and take a separate course for them.
   2. With Yourself :- Be punctual in your action. Address each and every problem concerning the Office. If you are sure that some issues would not be resolve at your level take up with the Sub Divisional Officer and the District Magistrate. The Superior Officers should not be disturb unnecessarily. They should how ever be posted in all such matters which require so under government rules and orders. You should normally seek help from the Panchayat Samity or the Zilla Parishad when somebody within the Institution appears to spoil public interest.
   3. With People :- Be a good Public Relation Officer. Establish a good and clean rapport with the leaders of various organisations including political organisation. Your dealing with them should have a sincere positive approach. Everybody in your office, on the other hand, should be confident about your impartiality and integrity. Common people should also have direct access to you to a considerable extent.
   4. For meeting :- You may require a series of meetings. You are the convenor of some of the meetings and invitee of some others. When you are the convenor you must attend the such meetings. When you are an invitee you must not miss those meetings which are scheduled to be address by the Sabhadhipati or by the D.M. or an A.D.M or by the S.D.O. When you decide to attend a meeting reach the venue at least ten minutes ahead without fail. When you find it inconvenient select a suitable official to represent you in the meeting with all relevant facts and figures in time.
   5. With Block Officers :- Prepare yourself as the leader of all Govt. Officers posted within the Block. Maintain a good rapport with such officers like the Block Medical Officer of Health or the O.C. of local Police Station. Give a patient and positive hearing to their problems and try your best to sort out even there personal problems as far as practicable.
3. PANCHAYAT SAMITY MATTER :-The Sabhapati of Panchayat Smaity is your nearest key person. It is essential to have mutual respect, trust and co-operation between these to important office bearers. Under the Panchayati Raj system the Panchayat Samity is require to frame broad principles for its works, adopt programmes and schemes, mobilized fund, examine expenditure etc. Being the executive officers it is your responsibility to look after the entire state of affair, co-ordinate inter-departmental activities and try your best to reach the target in all spheres within stipulated time.
   Ensure that meetings of the Panchayat Samiti General Body and the of the Standing Committees are held regularly. Preparation of Annual Action Plan, list of beneficiaries under various programmes, priority list of works etc. should be considered and accepted in the concerned forum well ahead so that as soon as fund is available the Executive Officer can undertake the execution of the scheme. Subsequently, review of work and expenditure should take place. Statement of receipt and expenditure of the Panchayat Samiti should be placed in the meeting of the Artha Sthayee Samity once in every three months for examination and approval. You should remain present personally in such meetings and also in the Panchayat Samiti meeting so that any querry is well clarified. It helps the elected members to get inform about the proceeding and they in turn, will remain, confident about your action. In other meeting respective Extension Officers must attend and inform you about the proceedings at the earliest opportunity. It may here be noted that in the Panchayat Samiti meetings you remain present as the B.D.O. You should undertake field visits in respect of at least 50% of the Panchayat Samiti Schemes. Take the Sabhapati with you as much as possible.
4. HELPING GRAM PANCHAYATS: Gram Panchayats are the other important institutions. In fact, almost all activities of the Panchayat Samiti are originated from the Gram Panchayat level. They are also translated into action at this end. Besides, the Gram Panchayats have independent function as well. Unfortunately, the Gram Panchayat is not well equipped to bear the burden always on its own. The B.D.O. may also consist a team of officials for periodical visit at the Gram Panchayats in order to remove various short comings on the spot or to provide necessary guidance to the Gram Panchayats to evolve a simple but proper system of work including maintenance and updating of various records and Registers and maintain conformity with other Gram Panchayats within the Block. You should verify them and refresh them about the procedure as well with or without prior intimation of your visit. You should specifically instruct the Panchayat Development Officer ( directly or through the District Panchayat and Rural Development Officer) to insert some specific information (about cash in hand, amount of advance, maintenance of cash books and scheme registers etc. on a particular date) in his audit report. If you find any irregularity, the Gram Panchayat Pradhan be advised for rectification. If any mala fide intention or gross irregularity is detected in course of your visit or in the Audit Report the Gram Panchayat Pradhan should be warned and then reported it against.
WHAT WBCS BDO SHOULD NOT DO:
1. CONFINEMENT :- We all should believe in the philosophy of the write to information and use it as a strategy to reach the goal. Do not suppress any official information unless it is strictly confidential. Moreover, when somebody may have the access to it and thereby misuse it left everybody know about each and every development of your office management, procurement of materials and expenditure, procedure of executing development programme and schemes. The elected people in particular and common people in general will not be in any doubt when they will feel that nothing is under the carpet. There will be hardly any misunderstanding between you and others around you.
2. HANDLING OF ACCOUNTS :- Do not allow to put extra spot in the office accounts like bill, vouchers etc. If it is Measurement Book(MB) the concerned Sub-Assistant Engineer(SAE) will enter details of the scheme and the materials and wage components actually involved. Thereafter the Accountant-cum-Head Clerk will check it before you pass the expenditure for payment. You can insist on recording of balance of fund on the body of all bills so that over-payment is avoided . Whenever you pass a bill, pen through it and when you authenticate the payment in the cash book put a stamp bearing PAID on the bill and sign it. Prepare monthly account of all expenditure separately by Block and Panchyat Samity, compare it with the closing balance in the cash book. Place the statement for Panchyat Samity in the meeting as mentioned earlier.
3. DEPENDANCE ON CERTAIN MATTER :-Do not allow anybody to influence you when a National programme like election or census is undertaken. Go by rules and orders mechanically. It should also be the same when you perform the magisterial duty or conduct an enquiry. Do not delay in the case of sending reports and returns. Maintain the time schedule very strictly. If somebody fails to contribute his part send the incomplete report.
4. MISUSE OF VEHCILES :- Do not engage normally more than one vehicle at a time. When there is no Govt. vehicle at your disposal or the vehicle available is not roadworthy permission from the District Magistrate to hire a vehicle should be obtained, whether or not the expenditure is to be born by Panchayat Samity. There should not be any vehicle for an individual office-bearer or Govt. Officials exclusively for his or her use. The vehicle should be under the control of BDO or the Executive Officer of Panchayat Samity.
   Normally presence of both Sabhapati and B.D.O. is required in many meetings at Sub-Division at District. Travel together in such cases. If there is any official appointment of urgent nature of the Sabhapati alone, adjust your outdoor work as much as possible and provide the vehicle for the appointment. Importance Scheme-visit in a team by your staff may also be adjusted similarly. Spending of fund indiscriminately for vehicle and fuel out of the Panchayat Samity fund available under government programme is irregular. It can not be regularize by a Panchayat Samity resolution either.
5. COMPETITION :-Do not go for any mad race with the Sabhapati. If a better understanding is develop such thing does not arise. If it is not so, try your level best to bring the things in order. If it is still not evident, work on Panchayat Samity resolutions and decisions only two deal with the Panchayat Samity matters. For the purpose, you should ensure regular meetings of Panchayat Samity where you should attend and explain the issue so that resolutions are adopted properly and they are fit for better public interest.
6. UNDERMINING THE ROLE OF PREDECESSORS :- The convention set up by your predecessors may not appear suitable for you or you may find lacuna in the system. Similarly, you may find some decisions taken earlier will not yield better result from Government’s viewpoint. Check up with relevant rules and orders and prepare yourself for a gradual change. Do not openly criticize your predecessors or entertain such criticism by others to take place in your presence. Such a trend leads to make people critical about everything and develop negative atmosphere. Gross irregularity if detected any if it may amount to defalcation, go through the details personally to be sure about the reported fact, and , after being satisfied about the gravity of the case beyond any doubt, report to your superior officers with all details.


CONCLUSIONS :- As a B.D.O. you should not consider yourself isolated. It is you who will administer and manage the institution and its resources (also of the Panchayat Samity as the Executive Officer ) since you are responsible for their use and maintenance both during the Audit and to the Government you have a term of experienced staff and officers with you to work. You are in a better position to deliver good to the people more effectively than others. The Panchayati Raj and the D.M. or the S.D.O. may also help you a lot to consolidate your position in discharging official duties in a positive manner.