Centre supports leaders in bureaucrats’ row:Writes to Chief Secretary on officials’ conduct; Minister Rakesh, MLA Lodhi had threatened IAS

A conflict has come up between political leaders and government officers in Madhya Pradesh, and the matter has now reached the central government. A senior official from the Centre has written to the state’s Chief Secretary, supporting the concerns raised by leaders. In the letter, he said officers should be properly trained on how to behave with MPs and MLAs. The Centre has clearly said that officers must follow official rules and protocol in every situation. It also warned that letters from public representatives must be answered on time and in a polite manner. After receiving repeated complaints, the Centre has taken the issue seriously and has asked the state government to give its response. Instructions have been given before The Central Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and Parliament have issued guidelines on this subject many times before. An office memorandum was also issued on January 12, 2026. Ministries, states, and union territories were instructed that these directives should reach every officer down to the district level, but despite this, no significant improvement in the situation was observed, after which the center had to intervene again. Second warning in four months On May 4, DoPT wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary for the second time within four months. It instructed all ministries and departments to make officers aware of their conduct and responsibilities towards public representatives. The center has also asked to what extent these instructions have been followed so far. Issue repeatedly raised in the Assembly During every session in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, MLAs raise the issue that they are not given protocol. Their letters are not answered. Every time the General Administration Department issues instructions, but there is not much change in the situation at the ground level. This is why the matter has now reached the centre.