With an aim to take cogent steps towards providing better governance, certain measures at the Governmental levels being taken periodically is nice but whether those measures fructifying in bringing in desired results is quite another. The question, again, is the extent of taking such measures seriously at the levels that matter. For instance, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir in early April this year, with a purpose to review the powers of the Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners with regard to district staffing of various departments, had assigned the job to a panel of bureaucrats. Since this was related to how effective governance could be provided to the people in the UT hence assuming sensitivity, the panel of bureaucrats was asked to submit the report within eight days – the time quite reasonably sufficient. However, the report has so far not been submitted. In other words , while the assignment had to be completed within eight days, even 120 days are found ”not enough” for preparing and submitting the report. We need not, at the outset , go in for counting the advantages of the said exercise so as to ”motivate” the concerned responsible officers who have been assigned the task but would lay more stress on complying with the instructions of the Government even though the entire reviewing mechanism is imperative to avoid confusion and even clash in the pursuit of exercising powers by three tiers of Panchayati Raj System, viz; District Development Councils, Block Development Councils and Panchayati Halqas. Various developmental activities , problems and the grievances of the public and the like, primarily for which reviewing the powers of the District heads is needed, is central to how various important departments like Revenue, Rural Development, Jal Shakti, Health and Social Welfare departments were staffed so as to ensure implementation of various developmental schemes related to their Departments . When even four months are not found enough to do the seemingly small but important job, how could added or modified powers granted to and exercised by the District top authorities work on the ground? It is the other way round looking to the modern era of fast decision making process so that work on administrative levels did not suffer due to the absence of the bureaucratic authority or overshooting a particular power or exceeding its limits. That is even taking decisions , if not within the powers of the concerned Authority, but subsequently seeking confirmation from preceded by promptly informing the next higher authority provided such exercising of powers was in the best interests of the public and any further delay would have gone against the basics of providing good governance. Perhaps, to pre-empt such a situation, as going that way though sparingly but fearlessly, cannot be generalised, that a proper review which includes adding, expanding and modifying powers to the concerned district Authorities has been mooted by the Government. While at each level of administrative functioning, the need is to provide good governance as the basic and prime commitment of the Government, it is imperative to lineate powers at various tiers of administration. District Authorities, in this connection, are of vital nature who need to be given powers in tune with the expectations of the people from the administration. Routine, formalities, wilful delays, reluctance in or deferring of taking decisions, absence of a connect with the general public, red-tape and the like are things of the past. Innovative, bold, competent and good governance oriented culture in the functioning alone would meet the desired ends which therefore enjoins upon the said panel to submit the requisite report, now, at the earliest
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