Editorial
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| | Whether transparency, accountability? | | A case of systemic failure, rulers insensitivity to criticism and cynical approach | | Chief minister’s boastful claim about the governance in the State having been made transparent and accountable is contrary to the situation on the ground. The governance in Jammu and Kashmir was never transparent, accountable, free from corruption and responsive to people’s needs and demands. During the three and half years of the coalition government led by Omar Abdullah the situation has only worsened with the government becoming increasingly unresponsive to the people’s demands and needs and unconcerned about the day-to-day problems of the citizens. What betrays the chief minister’s insensitivity to any criticism and voices of dissent and contempt for those who disagree with him is his tweeting claim that it is best not to respond. The people’s sufferings due to poor governance are multiplying with those at the helm living in a world of make believe. It’s clearly a case of systemic failure. Instead of bringing institutional reforms to make governance free from corruption, efficient, responsive to the people’s needs, accountable and transparent even the existing institutions have been made dysfunctional. Take the case of the State Accountability Commission which has been virtually made defunct due to the hostile attitude of the powers that be. First it took the government much time to select the chairman and members of this institution and then after the SAC was constituted it failed to deliver due to administrative apathy bordering on hostility and denial of necessary infrastructure, particularly its independent investigating agency.. The basic flaws in the law too stand in the way of this institution to deal with the corrupt publicmen and bureaucrats. So far not a single person has been punished for corruption and that too in a state which has been rated as the second most corrupt in the country. The proposed Vigilance Commission to probe into the cases of corruption against the bureaucrats is nowhere in sight, thanks to the manner in which the ruling establishment tried to select chief vigilance commissioner and vigilance commissioners to suit its political convenience. The recent reports about the huge embezzlement of fund earmarked for development works, both under the state and central projects, speak volumes about the fiscal indiscipline as well as large scale corruption both at the political and bureaucratic levels.
The State government’s failure to implement the recommendations of the working group on good governance, particularly those relating to the setting up of credible institutions for making appointments, postings, transfers and promotions only exposes the vested interest of those at the helm to subvert all moves for suitable administrative reforms. The transfer industry is flourishing with the frequent, unjust and premature transfers and posting becoming the order of the day. Such postings and transfers have been the biggest source of corruption. Still the State government has not done any thing to evolve a just and rational policy for postings and transfers. Even the institutions set up for making selection for government departments like the Public Service Commission and Subordinate Service Selection Board lack credibility in view of the arbitrary manner in which their chairmen and members are selected.
The failure of the government to make the functioning of the governance transparent is obvious from the way those in authority have been creating hurdles in the way of the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, which in itself has several flaws and shortcomings. The selection of Chief Information Commissioner was inordinarily delayed and even after making the selection the institution was denied necessary infrastructure Lack of cooperation from various departments, which have not even appointed their own information officers, is making the institution redundant despite the sincere and consistent efforts made by the CIC and his organization.
The government’s total lack of concern for people’s sufferings due to their day-to-day problems like electricity, water supply, sanitation, healthcare, roads and transport etc only exposes its claim of being responsive to the people’s needs. |
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