Challenges are real and the approach also has to be equally real
Rulers making surprise visits has almost become a custom now. Whether it helps rein in highly ineffectual administration needs to be thoroughly evaluated. Nevertheless, this is a handy public relation exercise, which garners much sought-after publicity. Nowadays announcement of ‘hundred day agenda’ has also become fashionable. Hundred days agenda is not a bad idea. Provided the intention is to create right kind of impact and fine-tune bureaucracy in a particular direction.
However, bureaucracy is not the proper forum, to frame an agenda. “The Chief Minister, Mr. Omar Abdullah today asked the administration to formulate agenda for the first 100 days of the coalition Government to set the tone for the governance for the six years of its tenure”. Bureaucrats have their limitations: they are not elected representatives to understand pulse of the people; belong to the elite classes, cannot have proper appreciation of the problems at the grassroots’. Moreover bureaucracy is not accountable before the common voter. It is not expected to formulate pro-people agenda that in the end may prove detrimental to their interests only. It is responsibility of the elected representatives to chalk-out an agenda and ask the bureaucracy to implement the same. Bureaucracy is merely an apparatus. A horse that cannot ride itself, but it can dictate its whims on a weak taskmaster.
If new dispensation is serious and sincere, to provide good governance, it should sooner than the later decide to a have a paper (file) less administration—E-governance. At the secretariat level it is doable in shortest possible time, if not allover the state in first hundred days. Government has all the requisite infrastructure available at secretariat in both the places– Jammu and Srinagar: more than 650 nodes installed; Local Area Network (LAN) established; servers operational; software, SKIMS triple plus (Secretariat Knowledge Information and Management System) purchased by State Government at a whopping price.
IT savvy Chief Minister stands well educated about the benefits of E-governance. Only a right kind of inclination is required. All these years Babus have successfully forestalled, potential use of information technology. Chief Minister has reiterated, “Actions speak louder than words … the proof of pudding is in eating”. All this is rhetoric, unless backed with a palpable action. Let there be some real work also. First hundred days are normally considered as grace period, for this government that period ends on 15th of April. When the honeymoon period ends, irrespective of the fact, government performs or not; knives will be out–read pens. Impressions of non-performance are gaining ground, if this gets consolidated as lasting trend, Omar Abdullah government will have to be prepared to face [genuine] barrage of criticism.
Coming back to the issue of high profile but less productive surprise visits, one is reminded about an incident. Some years ago, a very senior police officer– Inspector General of police (Traffic) was seen manning the traffic post at Dulgate crossing. (Opposite J&K bank’s corporate headquarter.) Some people might have praised the sense of duty of the said officer. On the contrary, this incident provides ample proof of inefficiency, dereliction of duties and serious failure of command and control. Just visualize the scenario; if IGP fails tomorrow to insure smooth flow of traffic, home minister in this case chief minister will have to mange the traffic. Efficiency is not to be everywhere at every time but to delegate responsibilities, to right kind of people and also make them, work. A good police officer, a hard taskmaster instead of descending at a constable’s beat, would have made the beat constable authoritative enough for the people to respect his command. And beat constable accountable before a proper chain of command.
In some other place, off and on surprise checks may inspire employees to discharge their duties diligently. But in case of J&K, where administrative system is most corrupt and rotten to the core, surprise visits prove to be a cosmetic affair. This chunky, crook bureaucracy is badly suited to deliver responsive and clean administration. It is simply impossible; please mark the word– impossible. Perhaps CM understands the gravity of the situation “J-K has a dubious distinction of being the second most corrupt state in India. “It can’t become honest overnight.”
Nevertheless enormity of the problem should not overwhelm the desire to provide a clean administration. Nor should be this be made a lame excuse for an easy escape. Where there is will there is a way. On one hand the new dispensation will have to crack the whip against the erring officials, and on the other, reorient and encourage the honest and dedicated among the lot.
Color of the cat hardly matters as long as it is able to catch the mice. Witch hunting is never helpful, but unproductive. Nonetheless, right people have to be at the right place. There are twenty-two districts in Jammu and Kashmir, is it really difficult to find thoroughly honest but dynamic, Development Commissioner, Superintendent of police and Session judge for each district. In such a large body of bureaucracy, one hope’s that there are still more then sixty-six persons left, who are committed and driven enough to work for the welfare of people, tirelessly.
At a District headquarter, a sensible, energetic person as Development Commissioner can truly change the profile of the administration. DC’s office is main inter-face between administration and the general public. In far-flung rural areas, prompt grievance redressal, prioritization of development schemes, and proper utilization of funds are the main issues. Once DC’s office starts functioning as a well-oiled machine, people will automatically find their problems appropriately taken care of. It will also fulfill the promise of ‘administration at your doorsteps’. Poor people flocking secretariat for minor works, those could have been effectively disposed-of by Naib-Tehsildar or BDO or even by Patwari and Gram-Sevak is absurd. Sometimes poor folk have to sell their precious belongings to be able to reach Srinagr or Jammu. This is apathetic if not criminal.
Despite phenomenal increase in police’s strength and infrastructure available to the law enforcement agencies, it is worrisome; crime rate in the society has dangerously risen. Though police presently is focused to curb militancy, it has badly affected functions of normal policing. Furthermore, reputation of police has also taken a beating; it is not any more perceived as people friendly. Given a chance, common man in all probability, will remain at a safe distance from the so-called custodians of the society. In case police begins performing properly, petty crimes, small disputes and few of the social problems can be curbed/dealt at the level of the police station. New government in office needs to make police station functional in prevention of crime and taking punitive actions against acts of crime. This will not only restore confidence of public in police but will also help reduce the workload of already burdened, justice delivery system.
Backlog of the cases, civil and criminal, has assumed frustrating proportions. Justice delayed is justice denied. To maintain order and stability in the society distribution of Justice is not essential, it is critical. In present circumstances the challenge is not distribution of justice alone, but also speedy distribution of justice. For this justice delivery system has to be streamlined to be able to dispense justice in an efficient manner.
COURTESY:- GREATER KASHMIR
Sheikh Zubair's Blog 