New Delhi, July 27
The UPA government is currently evaluating proposals for evolving a “code for good governance” in all states and Union Ministries in line with reforms in governance, including a better delivery mechanism, so that benefits of all government schemes can percolate to the common man.
The proposals, which were being seriously discussed by the government, would set broad parameters for the state and Central governments to follow so that there was an effective mechanism for evaluating the performance in major areas like education and health, official sources said.
These proposals were required not only to assess the performance of state governments or various Central Ministries on the basis of utilisation of budgetary allocations but also to see how the government policies were impacting the life of the common man.
In the second phase, the government planned to rope in some external agencies, including NGOs, to evaluate the state governments on these parameters and then categorise them, they said.
Such a move was privately on in Bangalore where an NGO was preparing the report card on the delivery mechanisms of the state government and various corporations.
The sources said the external agency would also prepare a “citizen-oriented state of governance report” based on these parameters. The move would also ensure bringing down corruption in government offices, besides making government officials more accountable.
The sources said these proposals would be tabled before Chief Ministers of all states for their opinion, besides giving suggestions on good governance.
Admitting that there would be some opposition from states in accepting the code, the sources said the proposals, once finalised, would be implemented only in those states which were willing. They said it would be possible to create peer pressure on those states which initially did not agree to accept the code.
One major area, in the Centre’s assessment, is to usher in reforms in the law and order machinery, which practically means making the police responsive to civic and democratic society.
