Food For Thought: What’s Green Book in Government? Hint: Think during lunch

EACH central government office invariably has a canteen on its own. But when the government wanted to change its managing committee, as it did recently through an office memorandum dated August 14, 2013, it had to follow the Great Indian Sarkari procedures before changing what’s called the Green Book. Here are five things that Green Book contains:
1) Green Book is the nickname of “Administrative Instructions on Departmental Canteen in Offices and Industrial Establishments” which is issued by the department of personnel and training.

2) In a smaller department that employs less than 100 persons, tiffin rooms are established instead of a full-fledged canteen.

3) There is an office of the Director of Canteen located in New Delhi, which looks after the functioning of canteens in government departments.

4) The departmental canteen or tiffin rooms have to pay a rent to the department for occupying its office accommodation. But the rent is ridiculously low at Rs 1 per year. The Green Book, however, clarifies that sub-letting of the canteen premises to any private person is not permissible.

5) While changing the composition of the managing committee recently, the office memorandum gave minute details such as the need to have a lady officer or staff as its member, and who would supply the canteen management committee its basic needs: stationery, stencils, cyclostyling facilities, postage stamps etc. Further the OM says, the committee does not enjoy an autonomous status and it functions “for and on behalf of President of India”.