Responsibilities of a Public Servant

(1) Personal vs Professional : The offer of the Minister will improve my economic status, bring good living standards, open new avenues for my children, but it will surely lead to loss for farmers. This deal will lead to displacement of farmers from their own land and hence force them to restart their lives from a scratch. 

(2) Transparency vs Confidentiality: It is known that transparency is very important for the good governance. But at times, non-disclosing about the details of a project before the commencement of work is deriable. It serves the interest of the society better as everyone will get equal chance to reap the benefits of the coming projects. 

(3) Our interest vs financial burden on the Government: Minister’s proposal will indeed serve his purpose and give me economic gains but it will have a heavy burden on government finances. This money could be used for other welfare programmes for the betterment of the poor and marginalized section of the society. 

(4) Moral Conflict : I have been very honest and true to my service and this offer acceptance will rob me of my mental peace. I will degrade my values of integrity and non-partisanship which are my pillars of strength. And if I accept this offer now, it will become my habit. As Gandhiji has rightly said, “Nature has enough for everyone’s need, but not for everyone’s greed”. 

(5) Economic interest vs Environment : Accepting this offer might bring economic prosperity to both the minister and my life. But it will be harmful for the environment as it requires cutting down of large number of trees. And with cutting down of trees, whole ecosystem- birds, insects, small animals- gets affected. This will also hamper the citizens resisting there in the long run. 

So as a responsible civil servant, it is my responsibility to bring a balance between economic development and environmental conservation to have a sustainable development. These types of conflict of interests are bound to emerge while carrying out my duties. It is upto me that I do not buckle to these pressures and maintain my integrity. Emotional intelligence is needed to address these types of issues. 

So, I should continue to implement the road project as planned earlier rather than coming under Minister’s pressure or getting alluded by personal gains. With this courageous effort, I will uphold the highest values of good governance that requires selfless service and probity. And over all these, I will be true to my conscience, which is very necessary for good performance in governance