Para 38 — CSMOP
Original Rule Text
# 38. Correspondence with Ministers of State Governments –
The procedure laid down in the above paragraph (No.37) shall also be followed in dealing with communications received from the Ministers of State Governments.
What This Means
Para 38 is a brief cross-referencing rule that extends the MP/VIP correspondence protocol to communications received from Ministers of State Governments. State Ministers occupy a senior position in the state's political hierarchy and are elected representatives — their communications therefore deserve the same level of prompt attention, proper officer-level response, and record-keeping as communications from MPs.
The rule simply says that the procedure prescribed in Para 37 shall also be followed for communications from State Ministers. This means: prompt acknowledgement within 15 days, substantive reply within 30 days total, reply in letter form, minimum Under Secretary level response, and proper record maintenance. If a State Minister writes to a Central Minister, the Central Minister should reply personally where possible.
For Section Officers, this is a reminder not to treat State Ministerial communications as routine correspondence — they carry political weight and have the same escalation risk as MP communications. A delayed or insufficient response to a State Minister can create inter-governmental friction.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Key Points
- 1Communications from Ministers of State Governments are treated on par with communications from MPs and VIPs.
- 2The full procedure of Para 37 applies: prompt acknowledgement, 30-day reply timeline, letter form, minimum Under Secretary level response.
- 3If a State Minister writes to a Central Minister, the Central Minister should personally reply where possible.
- 4Records must be maintained and monitored.
- 5This rule prevents inter-governmental friction by ensuring State Ministers receive timely, senior-level responses.
Practical Example
The Health Minister of Odisha writes to the Union Minister of Health requesting expedited release of National Health Mission funds. The letter reaches the Project Appraisal Division of the Ministry of Health. The Division's Section Officer must acknowledge within 15 days and coordinate with the finance section to prepare a substantive reply within 30 days total. The reply must be a Letter and should ideally be sent by the Central Health Minister personally (or at minimum at Under Secretary level). The SO records this in the State Ministerial correspondence register and marks it for monitoring.
This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This explanation was generated with AI assistance for educational purposes. Always refer to the official gazette notification for authoritative text.