Administrator
His attitude to the Services is conditioned by the same factor. He has the knack of enthusing the officers to give their best and produce results. He is accessible to all and will listen to them, chide them for their shortcomings and encourage them in their good work. He gives a feeling to each one that he is trusted and he is being watched by him. Sometimes the delinquents are let off out of goodness of heart, but on the whole his method of tackling the officers pays a good dividend.
His accessibility is often exploited by self-designing persons. They visit him and surround him to exhibit to the world that they are close to him. He is too good-natured to ward off their attacks, but his shrewd mind must be putting him on guard against their manoeuvres. Subtle flattery can even pierce the armour of the gods and the public wonders sometimes why the Chief Minister cannot show more discrimination in the choice of those who surround him.
The art of administration is largely the skill in assigning priorities. Theoretically, all are equal and administration should ensure equality, neutrality and impartiality. These are good slogans, but all administrators know that they cannot apply them in practice without damaging the fabric of Government. Many people and institutions consider themselves more equal than others and they can create trouble if their demands are not satisfied. After all the primary duty of a Government is to put first things first. Some people and pressure groups are more important than others. Equality would demand impersonal administration according to strict rules of priority and procedure. The administrator is therefore faced with a situation wherein he has to manipulate in such a manner as to maintain a facade of impersonal administration while satisfying the demands of priority. Shri Chavan's merit is that he is inclined to favour institutions and not persons—institutions which are for the welfare of the public. But he insists that no one should suffer thereby. I remember a case in which he declined to side-step a rule to help a deserving institution.