You can’t go to moon in a cart!

P. N. Pandey

These two reports quoted above speak volumes about the state of governance in the twin states of Bihar and Jharkhand. They also highlight the ‘dark tunnel’ the bureaucracy has got sucked in and the battle chief Ministers Nitish Kumar and Arjun Munda have to fight to resurrect the states. May be, to prepare them and bolster their image and win people’s confidence Arjun Munda acquired a larger than life image by successful hosting of the National Games last month. Nitish Kumar, on his part, won laurels for rejuvenating Bihar’s glory through Bihar Divas functions. It is tribute to Nitish’s PR skill and media hype that Bihar Divas was celebrated across the globe. Biharis, living in far away nations, lapped up the idea and loudly said: Garva se kaho ham Bihari hai (say with pride that we are from Bihar).

The Bihari pride, however, can not be restored with mere sloganeering. Nitish Kumar also realise this hard fact. He is quite aware of his difficult battle ahead. Corruption and red tape, among others, have been eating into the state’s vital. The Chief Minister has said: “I am also facing the problem of red tape-ism. Red tape-ism is a big hurdle for the development of Bihar”. He was keen for Bihar’s speedy development but bureaucratic delays were slowing things down. “I plan or think something with a timeframe in mind, but something else happens”, Nitish rued.

This anguish has lid off the can of owes of elected representatives and common man alike. BJP legislator Rameshwar Prasad, the member from Nokha, fired the first salvo in the Vidhan Sabha itself. He alleged that the REO executive engineer of his area was not only ‘under-performing’, but also taunting MLAs that much as they try they won’t be able to get him transferred. He beckoned the Chief Minister to look what “is happening at the ground level”. The treasury benches squirmed in embarrassment as he accused REO minister Bhim Singh (of the JD-U) of shielding the executive officer. The minister, on the other hand, offered to quit if the legislator proved the charge.

The BJP legislator earned full sympathy of most NDA legislators. “There is hardly any legislator who will not tell you a story of how he has been ignored and taunted by some official or another”, said a JD (U) member. Leader of the Opposition Abdul Bari Siddiqui appeared amused by the Chief Minister’s candid confession. “I must congratulate the chief minister for acknowledging the facts about untamed bureaucracy, a charge we have been making for over five years”, Siddiqui said.

Meanwhile, there are several instances where work could not be done in the present government, due to official slog-ness. Unresolved problems raised at the Janata durbars of Chief Minister and other ministers bear testimony to the fact. Newspaper reports and official reviews have said that a large number of complaints remain unattended despite clear directive of the concerned ministers, including the Chief Minister. Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi too sings the same tune. He rued: “Red tape is one reason why NRIs are reluctant to invest in Bihar”.

The mother state, however, is not alone to be afflicted by red tape-ism and mounting corruption. The ‘child state’, that has inherited all ills from the birth, is also squirming up. Ruling AJSU MLA Umakant Rajak alleged in the Vidhan Sabha that coal was being plundered under the patronage of a section of police in Ramgarh district
Ranchi. Jharkhand government on Friday announced a probe into a police officer allegedly using a seized bike in Ranchi as the Arjun Munda government came in for sharp criticism on alleged corruption by some police officers.

Participating in the debate for budget grant for Home department, members cutting across party lines accused some police officers of indulging in unreasonable and corrupt practices. The Speaker asked the government to ensure that the police stations across the state accept complaints from the people, particularly from the poor.

The Speaker referred to reports that policemen in Ranchi ‘are flouting traffic rules by not wearing helmets and driving mobikes with two pillion riders and said the “action should not be restricted to suspension; there should be some remarks in the personal file of any erring official as a deterrent to his promotion”. Jharkhand Janadhikar Manch MLA Bandhu Tirkey went one step further and alleged actions were being taken against police officials belonging to ST/SC only and not against others. He cited, as example, actions taken against senior police officers, SP Siddho Hembrom and C P Kiran, who belong to ST/SC in connection with various charges. Congress MLA Yogendra Sao said, unless corruption in the police department was stopped, extremism would not end.

The people, especially younger generations, of the two states are impatient for change. They want to catch up fast and join the comity of the developed states of the country. And political leaders have realised the people’s mood. They too are eager to prove equal to the mass expectations. But, bureaucracy has turned out to be a big stumbling block. In fact, in our system of governance political masters are mere veneers; they do window dressing only. Bureaucrats actually call the tunes and run the administrations. The elected government may plan development schemes but their formulation and execution are in the hands of mandarins. Therefore, the system of governance should get a thorough revamp to keep in tunes with modern hopes and aspirations. The bureaucracy has change. You can not go to the Moon in a bullock cart. A powerful spaceship alone would fulfil the mission.