Government failures are man-made

APROPOS of Mr Hari Jaisingh’s “Politics of non-performance: govt failures are man-made” (Nov 20), it is not for the first time that the country’s politico-administrative leadership has failed to gain a tight grip over the problems, or that the policies are lop-sided and muddled and are implemented in a piecemeal and disjointed manner. Rarely have our political rulers realised that high-sounding words and effective oratory do not justify the sincerity of intentions.

Ever since Independence our economy has been politicised as we have followed the policy of appeasement, with the result that the country’s industry stands divided into two sections — pro-and-anti-establishment. Every government has been soft on one section and harsh on the other section of business and industry. Naturally, during the last 50 years, the common man has been living in an atmosphere of panic.

Therefore, in one way or the other the governments have directly or indirectly allowed the country to slip into a state of extreme permissiveness, of lawlessness, of organised loot and even violence for political gains. The sky-rocketing of the prices of essential commodities today particularly of vegetables, should be viewed in this light.

Today what the nation needs is not the World Bank-designed reforms, or a massive infusion of foreign capital or even the lifting of the US sanctions. We need an intelligent and efficient management of our resources. Our political leadership must realise that socio-economic transformation cannot be attained through an unwilling and hostile bureaucracy. Nor can the structural reforms be brought about by creating an image of helplessness, as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee seems to be doing. Whatever the constraints of the coalition, the government cannot escape the responsibility of taking certain harsh decisions and adopting stringent measures to redress the grievances of the common man.

A government that fails to realise the common man’s difficulties, can in no way be called a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

VED GULIANI
Hisar

Congress misrule: A non-Congress government with a weak mandate is there at the Centre for the first time, after 50 years of misrule of the Congress and former Congressmen. This misrule created a huge number of problems for the country. Firstly, on the economic front, wrong policies have resulted in huge foreign and internal debts, with no planning to return them, so much so that it is not possible to pay even the interest amount.

Secondly, on the administrative side, there is a huge army of inefficient, corrupt government servants — both in the states and at the Centre mostly doing unproductive jobs. Their pay and allowances, specially at the lower level, are quite high than their market value. This leaves very little finance for development projects.

Thirdly, false perception of national security, appeasement of Pakistan and China, pseudo-secularism, etc, have created problems like terrorism, the Kashmir crisis, illegal infiltration from Bangladesh, the Sri Lanka Tamils question, etc.

ANAND PRAKASH
Panchkula

Major failure: It is a hard fact that the government totally failed to anticipate the price rise. Had it taken action against hoarders, the situation would have been under control. But it remained busy with despatching emissaries to Ms Jayalalitha, and Ms Mamata Banerjee to placate them when they were threatening to withdraw their support to the government.

It has rightly been remarked that the central politico-administrative leadership does not have a tight grip over the problems the country is faced with. There is no doubt the government is moving with the support of other coalition partners, but they should not be given a long rope to create obstacles in the way of administrative functioning.

In my opinion, the rise in the prices of essential commodities is a major failure of the BJP-led government.

SUBHASH C. TANEJA
Rohtak

Students for traffic control

With the upgradation of Mansa sub-division to a district, the roads of the town have come under extensive vehicular pressure. It is easy to blame the traffic police for the chaos, but have we ever tried to look at the ratio of the vehicles and the traffic cops?

There has to be a beginning to manage the chaos. It is heartening to learn that the local police department has embarked upon a novel plan — to rope in school students to share the burden and lend a helping hand to the local traffic police. A beginning has been made in creating traffic scouts from among the students of Dasmesh Public School. The students will assist the traffic police at strategic intersections on special occasions.

The first batch of 25 students has completed their training. The student volunteers were stationed at strategic points of the town to regulate traffic on Children’s Day. The experiment was a great success.

It is really a good venture providing an opportunity to students to contribute to the building up of a safe and disciplined road environment. Besides, the basic aim of the whole scheme “Road Safety for All” will be substantially achieved. Cooperation of teachers, students and the police in such matters can really produce marvellous results.

K. M. VASHISHT
Mansa

GREF expectations

The General Reserve Engineer Force-GREF, in short — is that wing of the armed forces of India which complements the civil engineering effort of the Corps of Engineers in cutting, stabilising and maintaining the road communications necessary for the defence of the country. It is also referred to as a civilian road construction agency at times. The later synonym is used as a matter of special national convenience, notwithstanding the fact that the GREF troops are soldiers for all intents and purposes.

In this context it has to be clarified that the unique status of the GREF men as soldiers was disputed at one point of time. While some people wanted to utilise the services of these troops for strategic purposes, they grudged the GREF men’s insistence on a well-deserved status identical to that of the soldiers of other Corps. The dispute had come before the Supreme Court in the late seventies. The apex court, in R.Viswan versus the Union of India (AIR 1983 SC 658), had set all the doubts and disputes in the matter at rest by pronouncing that GREF is an integral part of the armed forces, and the disparity, if any, in their terms and conditions of services vis-a-vis Army personnel may as well be removed.

In view of the court ruling, retired and retiring GREF personnel expected equal treatment on a par with the Army personnel in the matter of “Ex-serviceman status” and other post-retirement concessions. The grant of the facilities of military canteen stores and medical treatment in military hospitals have been two very important concessions for which the GREF personnel have all along been longing so earnestly. Unfortunately, the policy-makers in Delhi have had been — sorry to say — showing a negative attitude towards the GREF personnel’s just expectations.

K. L. NOATAY
Shimla

Muddy water supply

The Municipal Council of Kharar is playing havoc with the health of Mundi-Kharar residents, with the supply of muddy water for the past six months. The damaged pipe lines and tubewell is not being repaired by the authorities. Any kind of pollution by a private concern is immediately checked and action taken. But who will punish for the same offence the — Local Self-Government?

S. K. SAINI
Mundi-Kharar