Open House: Shouldn’t government bodies monitor funds to prevent misuse of taxpayers’ money?

Transparent process will prevent misuse

To ensure that government bodies utilise the taxpayers' money appropriately for earmarked purposes, certain measures can be implemented. First, both Central and state governments should provide performance-based grants to these government bodies focusing on targeted projects addressing local infrastructure, health, education, sanitation, gender equality and environmentally sensitive planning. These grants can serve as a means for the authorities to recognise and reward effective government practices, without interfering with the municipal authorities' unique advantage of defining area development priorities. Local authorities should continue to be responsible for decision-making within the performance-based grant system as the level of government is closest to the people who can best understand community needs and draft appropriate and effective strategies. Additionally, financial records of these government bodies should be made accessible to the public, allowing transparent review of fund allocation and expenditure. Government agencies or independent auditors should conduct regular audits of utilised funds to identify discrepancies and potential misuse, if any. Detailed information regarding such fund allocation and expenditures should be made available on online transparent portals providing valuable insights into spending patterns. Non-governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Citizen Oversight Committees should be involved in monitoring government spending, and their detailed reports can serve as a valuable resource for identifying potential fund misuse. Whistleblowers within government departments who report fund misuse should be protected and appropriately rewarded for their actions. Media reports uncovering potential fund misuse should be carefully considered, as they often provide valuable insights through investigative journalism.

Kulwant Singh Phull

Restrict freebies, act against tax evaders

Smart city project aims at creating townships that are full of infrastructure and 24x7 doorstep delivery of services. However, concerns about road infrastructure in cities raise the question as to where all public and other funds that came from the Centre and taxpayers have gone. First, we have to be clear about the fact that there are Central-level committees that keep a record of each penny used by the state government. However, people pay their taxes on time but seeing the awful infrastructure, may shirk paying the taxes. The revenue and income tax departments keep a track of this. The state has other concerns like welfare programmes including jobs, education, medicare, subsidies on agriculture and others but with limited funds. There are also chances that the government may use the fund for a particular project on other schemes. There are many solutions. First, the government has to ensure that every taxpayer pays taxes and takes strict action against tax evaders. Also, there is need to monitor the MPLAD funds, as this fund is mainly withdrawn at the time of elections and action should be taken on this. Reforms on vertical fiscal distribution by the Finance Commission by increasing the share of states are also needed. And restrict or put limit on freebies so that funds can be used on a particular project.

Bharti Thakur

Check misuse, use revenue properly

In 2016, Jalandhar finally made it to the list of smart cities across the country. Since then, the people of Jalandhar have been anxiously waiting for the unattainable dream to come true. But the reality is not close by. The mismanagement of taxpayers' hard-earned money is a constant issue, and the public is suffering every day due to the dilapidated state of roads and basic public facilities. The Municipal Corporation has not made any progress in developing Jalandhar into a smart city. The city's conditions have worsened over the years because of widespread corruption and embezzlement of funds by government bodies. The government needs to take adequate measures to avoid mismanagement of funds, and tax revenue should be used appropriately.

Sapna Madaan

Ensure proper use of money allocated

Regardless of the heavy expenses incurred on equipment for maintaining cleanliness and infrastructure, the scenario has not changed in most cities. Even in the smart city of Jalandhar, roads and streets lie broken while dirty rainwater remains accumulated for days together at many places, resulting in the spread of seasonal ailments. The garbage disposal too continues to be extremely pathetic since mounds of filth are often seen scattered here and there. The government under its Urban Development Mission envisages to transform select cities in various states to match world standards. For achieving the underlying objective, substantial outlay of monetary assistance is laid for improving infrastructure such as roads, parks, transport etc with special emphasis on redressal of the recurring problem of waterlogging on sustainable basis. On the contrary, drainage system in Jalandhar is so poor that potholes that come up on broken roads and streets even after a mild spell of rainfall become a headache for commuters. One wonders where are the funds going despite substantial allocation under the Smart City project? Obviously, the need is to ensure proper usage of money and quality of construction. While haphazard and unauthorised urbanisation is an impediment, the government must tackle the issue of illegal constructions strictly apart from stern action against encroachments on land meant for parks and water disposal channels. All buildings and road-laying contracts ought to be incorporated with a specific maintenance clause for a specified period. Rather, it would be advisable to involve RWAs for supervising quality works than putting blame on vagaries of nature in case of adverse situation. Additionally, financial audit of every pie spent on public works should be conducted and made public to check misuse of taxpayers' money and ensure proper usage of funds for improvement in the city's infrastructure. In case of any lapses reported, officials of the department concerned should solely be held accountable.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Only Union Govt can ask about its funds

The Union Ministry of Urban Development has released crores under the Smart City mission. Funds for the construction of quality roads, LED lights, renovation of parks, supply of hygienic drinking water, new sewerage lines,

footpaths, replacement of old galvanised pipes with new pipes for safe drinking water and regular cleanliness drive in the city areas are allocated. The historic Bulton Park (cricket stadium) has become a thing of the past where even international cricket matches were played in the past. The condition of the roads is deteriorating day by day, making the ride bumpy for vehicle drivers. The Municipal Corporation had passed estimates for concrete roads. The average life period of a concrete-built road is between 20 to 25 years. In foreign countries, they prefer cemented roads due to heavy snowfall. Has Jalandhar witnessed heavy snow in the last 100 years? There is a provision for third party inspection of roads but it seems that everything is fine. It is the Union Government that has released ample funds for the Smart City project that has the power to ask about the expenditure incurred if there is a change of head of work in the expenses without prior approval from the competent authorities. When it rains, roads get waterlogged. There is a need for planning and new mechanism in regard to the re-construction of roads, increasing sewerage line capacities and proper maintenance of streetlights and fogging during the monsoon to curb the menace of water-borne diseases and mosquito bites. The Ministry of Local Bodies should issue a notification for municipal elections so that the masses can elect their own Mayor and councillors.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Make Jalandhar a role model

Never before in my life did I experience deteriorating civic infrastructure, especially the roads, like in Jalandhar. For more than two years, some of the leading roads have neither been built or re carpeted, nor even repaired to make them fit for smooth flow of traffic. The tragedy is that it is happening after Jalandhar city was pronounced to be a smart one under the Centre's flagship scheme. It is alleged that a major chunk of funds allocated for the smart city project is not appropriated efficiently and diligently and siphoned off by corrupt bureaucrats in collusion with greedy politicians. It is generally heard that some enquiries on the subject are going on but the same are not yet in public domain. It appears that the whole mess is deep rooted and there is no immediate end to the sufferings of the residents who are clamouring to get the status back to restore normal civic conditions in the city. However, the poor residents expect Punjab government to intervene urgently for restoring their lost confidence in the administration. A special team should be formed for a holistic survey of all the city roads to prepare a comprehensive plan to restore their lost glory in a time-bound manner. The helpless residents have stopped looking towards MC for redressal of their grievances but the AAP government must intervene for the sake of their own future electoral prospects in the state with Jalandhar serving as a role model.

Jagdish Chander

All income, expenses need scrutiny

Two days ago, an extensive infrastructure project aimed at upgrading the GT Road, with an allocated budget of over 30 million rupees, was severely impacted by a rainstorm. This unfortunate event highlighted the apparent deficiencies in the administration's planning and execution of the project. The shameful incident also raises doubts in the minds of the common man in Punjab about the quality of material used to build these roads and the state government. This is why countries like the USA and Canada are attractive to many Indians for various reasons, with one major factor being well-kept and pothole-free roads. In contrast, this is a dream for many Indians that may never come true. Shockingly, there have been a total of 4,869 accidents in the country caused by potholes, leading to the death of 2,015 individuals. Out of these fatalities, 109 accidents occurred in Punjab, accounting for 3.17 per cent of the total deaths. Additionally, 94 more people were injured in these accidents, with 61 of them sustaining severe injuries despite the fact that many people pay so much in taxes to the government for the betterment of roads and infrastructure, Almost every day, a new heart-shattering incident takes away lives of the people of Punjab. This raises doubts in the minds of the masses that their money is not where it should be. To ensure that the taxes are adequately used for the betterment of the state, some steps can be taken. First, it is imperative to conduct a thorough and honest examination of all tax collection and expenditure records. This should be done in a transparent and organised manner to accurately identify potential instances of misconduct, fraud or illegal activities. Irregularities must be promptly addressed, and appropriate action taken to rectify the situation. Additionally, strict and severe action should be taken against any official caught red-handed no matter what their post to make sure a sensational effect in the corrupt system. Last but not least, every citizen should have a right to enquire and truthfully inform where the money is being spent as this is a democratic nation and everyone has the right to information.

Lakshit Jindal

Funds need proper monitoring

The money intended to be spent on improving roads has been bungled by the authorities. The money of the taxpayers is hard earned which government bodies must probe in order to ensure proper monitoring of funds. There is a lot of corruption as not only have funds been mismanaged but money is also taken from corrupt contractors with the quality of roads getting sacrificed in the process. This is evident from the fact that even after the repair of roads, large areas in the city are facing the problem of ditches and potholes. Also, it is resulting in accidents like in the busy bus stand area. Even in posh areas like Ranjit Avenue in Amritsar, the condition of roads is not good. It seems there is more of hypocrisy over the politicians propagating smart city projects.

Sanjay Chawla

Quality of work creates doubts

The condition of roads is getting worse day by day with potholes, cracks, rough and uneven surfaces and no markings. We have never experienced such a condition which is dangerous for the drivers and passengers, even for the walkers and other road users, increasing the risk of accidents and damaged vehicles. Every year, we blame the government, officials and contractors but they still exploit their power and we really feel ashamed to see the condition where we live in. We are all paying taxes and in return we are getting this kind of infrastructure. Leave aside making new roads, they don't even bother to do patch work and whatever little patch work is done, gets washed in one short spell of rain. Isn't it the government's responsibility to take care of the common man? Life has become so cheap that we are struggling for survival. On paper, everything is done and new roads have been built, but in reality we have not noticed when it was made the last time.

Shashi Kiran

People pay to build good roads

We can see the poor condition of roads within the state. We know that the national highways are maintained by NHAI. Local roads within Punjab are maintained by the state government. In Punjab, the condition of roads is miserable, especially in the rural areas. The people in villages have been waiting for maintenance of roads. But the administration is not giving much attention to this. It is a need of time to pay attention so that people can drive their vehicles comfortably on the roads because the public pays taxes for good roads. Many years ago, the PWD maintained the broken roads but this has stopped of late. If the state government starts the maintenance work for roads again, people can get some relief.

Sucha Singh Sagar

QUESTION FOR NEXT WEEK

To address traffic and pollution woes, many countries devise solutions like 'no vehicle zones' that are beneficial for health and environment. Can't the government treat this as a novel solution across the state to manage vehicular pollution?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (September 19)