The Rediff Profile/N N Vohra

The most powerful civil servant in the country

George Iype profiles N N Vohra, who will become the most powerful civil servant in the country on July 1.

The Saturday Club -- the intellectuals hub -- at Delhi's India International Centre has suddenly started shrinking. Two months ago, Inder Kumar Gujral, one of the Club's most eminent members who lunched every Saturday with New Delhi's 'thinking brigade' and discussed politics and poverty in the country, went on to become prime minister.

The IIC will soon see another of its distinguished members going across to the prime minister's office. Narendra Nath Vohra, the former home and defence secretary, is all set to take over as Gujral's principal secretary on July 1.

Vohra's passage to South Block from the IIC -- where he was the centre's director -- is unlikely to invite any criticism from former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Chandra Shekhar. The two former premiers were responsible for ensuring that Bhabani Sengupta -- whom Gujral plucked out of the IIC and appointed officer on special duty in the PMO -- resigned just 24 hours after taking charge.

He is, however, one civil servant whom many Indian politicians would hate to deal with. The reason: as home secretary, Vohra headed a committee in 1993 on the nexus between politicians and criminals. When he finally submitted the report to the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, it was the first official expose of the close links between criminals and politicians in the country.

The Rao government sat on the report for months, realising that the Vohra Committee report would embarrass ministers and members of Parliament. But the Congress regime, under immense pressure from the Opposition benches, finally tabled the report in Parliament leading to a nationwide debate on the subject.

Vohra was forthright in his report: 'Some political leaders become leaders of Mafia gangs or armed Senas and over the years get themselves elected to local bodies, state assemblies and the national Parliament. Resultantly such elements have acquired considerable clout seriously jeopardising the smooth functioning of the administration and the safety of life and property of the common man.'

His report effectively proved that many state legislative assemblies and Parliament consist of legislators with criminal links and resumes.

There was an uproar after the report was made public, but no action followed. Many believe when Vohra settles down in the PMO as the most powerful bureaucrat in the country, he will make far-reaching suggestions to Gujral in bringing about much-needed legislation to bar politicians with a criminal background from contesting elections.

As the prime minister's key aide, Vohra's new assignment, coming three years after his retirement from the Indian Administrative Service -- takes him to the category of P N Haksar, P N Dhar and PC Alexander, all of whom served as principal secretaries to former prime ministers.

It was Indira Gandhi who appointed the first principal secretary -- the scholarly Haksar -- in the PMO. No prime minister ever since has had the time to read voluminous files and reports. Thus, the principal secretary's task is clearly cut out: explain to the prime minister the problems and their solutions.

Haksar has said: 'My work was to assist Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, guide her in the decision- making process by providing minimum number of solutions, if possible one or two to a complex problem.'

Vohra's performance in the PMO will be watched keenly, for the problems of the 13-party United Front coalition are far more complicated and confusing than previous governments.

Congress leader and former internal security minister Rajesh Pilot is all praise for Vohra, who, he says "is efficient, honest and trustworthy."

"I found him to be one of those few bureaucrats who keep their integrity in whatever circumstances they work in," observes Pilot.

He served as home secretary when Pilot was internal security minister and S B Chavan was home minister in the Narasimha Rao government. Vohra, it is said, showed plenty of tact and defused the tension between Chavan and Pilot.