The consolidated orders concerning entitlement of personal staff of Ministers were issued by this Department’s O.M.No.8/3/92-CS.II dated January 14, 1994. It was stipulated specifically in our O.M.No.8/5/85-CS.II dated August 6, 1991 that no additional staff, even on informal basis, should be drawn from the main establishment of the Ministry/Department concerned for performing duties of the personal staff of the Ministers. Despite these instructions, it has been noticed that additional staff has been provided to the Ministers above their entitlement on an informal basis.

2. You will appreciate that the practice of subordinate staff from the Ministry and subordinate offices being attached with Minster’s Office has an adverse impact on the operations of the Ministry as the Ministry is deprived of the services of its best personnel, who compete with each other to work in the Office of the Minster. In addition, this creates extra points of contact in the Office of the Minster which more often than not is likely to compromise both the security and the confidentiality of that office, quite apart from generating unwarranted pressures. This situation is neither proper nor health, and deserves to be strongly discouraged.

3. In order to curb the malaise, it has been decided at the level of PM to take the following remedial measures immediately:-

1. A blanket ban be imposed on informal attachment of persona staff from subordinate formations of the Ministry, including the public sector undertakings.
2. Half of the staff in excess over the sanctioned strength be returned by the Minster’s Office immediately. The other half should be returned after the next 15 days, if the Department of Expenditure does not, in the meantime, concur with the justification for an addition to the staff strength of the Minister’s Office. While Secretary, Expenditure will examine any proposals sympathetically, there should be no relaxation of these time limits without the prior approval of the Prime Minster.
3. Disbursement of pay to the staff attached informally to the Minister’s Office should not be made unless the Joint Secretary (Administration) has certified that such staff is working against a post sanctioned for the office of the Minster, where pay is drawn from a subordinate formation, a similar prescription would apply.

4. Action taken in pursuance of the above may kindly be intimated to me by February 15, 1998.