Question : REVIEW OF DECISIONS OF COS

(a) whether decisions taken by the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) can be stayed or reviewed or altered or disobeyed;

(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the details of the authority competent to stay, review or alter the decisions of the CoS;

(c) the details of the CoS decisions stayed, reviewed, altered or disobeyed by the Government departments during the last ten years or so; and

(d) the number of decisions of CoS pending implementation indicating the steps taken to implement them expeditiously?

Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY)

(a) & (b): The business allocated to the Ministries/Departments is disposed of by them in accordance with the Rules of Business. The Committees of Secretaries (CoS) are constituted to discuss/deliberate upon important issues referred to them by the Ministries/ Departments. Sometimes, such Committees are also constituted in accordance with the directions of the Cabinet/Cabinet Committees or the Prime Minister. The CoS seek to resolve or narrow down the inter-departmental differences on issues placed before them. However, final decisions on such issues are taken only by the Ministry/Department concerned with the approval of the Competent Authority.

(c) & (d): The recommendations of the CoS are not binding on the Ministries/ Departments. The data relating to the recommendations of the CoS that have not been accepted by the Competent Authority, or not implemented, is not centrally maintained.