Harsha Kakar
The present Government at the Center won the election on the slogan of ‘acche din”. There has since then been an infusion to imbibe in the population a sense of responsibility towards the nation and society. This was evident in the national cleanliness day and which continues till date, the construction of toilets, surrendering LPG subsidy and even the international Yoga day.
This brings to fore the responsibility of every Government, whether at the State or national level, ‘The responsibility to protect and provide.’ By combining the two together I imply that the Government is responsible to ensure the security of its people and also to provide them with the basic necessities of life.
Security has different values for people residing in different parts of the country. For those who reside close to a turbulent border, it is security from unprovoked firing, security from harassment and security from the dangers of escalation of tensions along the border. For those residing away from the borders, secure in their cities and villages, it is security of their life, property and freedom. This is to be done with a combination of resources from the State and Center.
The State is responsible for law and order and the Center for security of the borders. If either fails or does not fully implement its responsibility then it is the population which suffers. To ensure protection to its populace, the State should ensure suitable positive directions are passed to its law enforcing agencies with the aim of creating and building trust within its populace. Security comes with trust. If the populace trusts the law enforcement agencies, security flows.
The responsibility to provide is the basic responsibility of every State. It has to ensure that its population is provided with the basic amenities needed with the times. It has to ensure provision of electricity, water, decent roads, food supply and other basic essentials for its population. It is for this reason that the Government was voted to power in the State. By assuming that the same is only partially provided, then the State does not fulfill its responsibility and is answerable to the public and its anger.
At the same time, the State is also responsible to set into place the requisite machinery to ensure that the services which it provides, is paid for by the users. It is only after collecting this revenue, can the State afford to improve the provision of such services. Free provision of services can go to a level, beyond which it becomes a burden which cannot be borne. This then leads to failure in providing the services, as the State can only pay for a certain amount, but the demand is much more, and interestingly, payments received even lesser.
The State and the Center have an additional responsibility. It is to ensure that the population is provided with an opportunity to work, earn a livelihood and develop economically. The center creates an environment at the national level, provides the encouragement, projects the national image and enacts or brings about suitable laws to support further action at the State level. The responsibility of the State is creating infrastructure, enacting suitable laws and provisions, encouraging industry and investment in the State.
Those States which have succeeded in this have brought an enhancement in facilities for its population and created an environment of satisfaction. For the others States, the population finding almost no chances of employment tend to drift away towards a life of crime and corruption or tend to move to more lucrative places and accept offers way below their qualification.
For development and ensuring that essential services are provided,the States in a number of cases have revamped the supply chain. By privatizing the supply chain, they have ensured that the services are provided and the users pay. In this case, I imply the provision of electricity and clean drinking water, the two essentials for survival. The States which have lived and banked on subsidy and have not woken up to the system of ensuring payment for services consumed, would always be woefully short and have a disgruntled population.
The States should also realize that these basic services are the very essentials needed for the development of industry and provision of employment for its populace. Industry needs a favorable climate, uninterrupted power supply, good connectivity and Government support. It is only by creating industry can jobs be provided for the population and this then tends to bring about an increase in the standard of living. The Government has to encourage and draw in industry, not draw them out. The local industrialists should be tempted and encouraged to set industry here rather than elsewhere.
The State should as part of its annual performance parameters give the progress on these issues to the local populace. The public today is well aware and knowledgeable. They realize how much the State machinery has done for their betterment. If a Government returns to power with a higher majority, it is only on account of their performance on the basic parameters. If it just manages to return to power, then it is on account of the fact that the public has limited choice.
Will our political leaders at the State sit back and consider how much effort is being put to ensure that the populace is given their due and that the basic essentialities are being provided. At the same time, would they answer to their own conscience the fact that they have fulfilled their responsibility to protect and provide.
(The author is a former Major General)
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