|  Monday, October 28, 2002 |

Forum  E-Mail  Site Search
 
THIS WEEK
  Front Page
  Manipur
  Features
  Opinions
  Profiles
  Editorials
  Interviews
  Potpourri
  Photos
  Books
Links
Forum
 
ARCHIVES
 
MANIPURONLINE
- About Us
- Advertise
- Feedback
- Contact Us
Classifieds
Letters to the Editor
 
TOOLS
Currency Converter
Stock Calculator
National Stock Exchange
Bombay Stock Exchange
xxx
 
Editorials
XX
Caught On The Wrong Foot
There are a number of factors responsible for the ills dogging Manipur and without a doubt one of the most prominent among such factors is the complete absence of governance which has increasingly or rather a system of governance which has increasingly come to mean serving the interest of political class and the bureaucracy. It has become the practice of successive Government to strut the acute lack of fund and the volatile law and order situation as the factors for the sorry state the people of Manipur find themselves in but the disturbing point is no Government has ever deemed it fit to look inwards and try to put some self correcting mechanism in place. 

More often than not it is the sheer lethargy, the ineffectiveness and an insensitive babudom that has proved to be bane of the administrative set up here. To illustrate our point we would like to repeat that it requires herculean task to get even the most simple of things get done here, like getting the Electricity Department to mend the faulty wire connection. Putting more teeth into the administrative set up is not something for which we need to approach New Delhi. 

It is not a question of fund, it is not a question of law and order and definitely it has nothing to do with an unsympathetic political class at New Delhi. Like corruption, the tyranny which the Government Departments inflict upon its citizens has more institutionalized and this is something that the SPF Government should look into on a priority basis.

The lethargy and ineffectiveness of the Government Departments was in full display during the meeting between the Central team, which arrived on October 23 to access the extent of the damage wrought by the recent flood, and the State officials. It is a shame that even after months of the flood damaging vast tracts of paddy fields, not to speak of the damages inflicted on Government structures and private holdings, the State Government found itself on the wrong foot and could not furnish the relevant data and information on the flood. 

As the leader of the team, AK Jain, a joint Secretary of the Home Ministry pointed out, many relevant datum were not enclosed in the memorandum submitted by the State Government to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. On top of this, confusion reigned in the meeting when the Central team wanted to see the damage reports of some of the Government Departments. Thanks to the sloppy handling of things, a number of Government Departments including the Fisheries Department could not submit their reports to the Central team during the meeting. Such ineptness on the part of the Government is what is hard to digest. 

We all know the extent of the damage caused by the flood and Chief Minister O Ibobi and his Council of Ministers know fully well that without Central assistance there is just no way the State Government can make up for the loss incurred in the flood. Manipur is in a difficult time, ranging from the acute financial crisis to a whole lot of other problems and surely we do not need to add to the misery of the people because some suited, booted Government officials are not up to the task of preparing the report of the flood damage. 

Yes we know the State Government has already pegged the damage wrought in the flood at Rs 287 crores but believed us if we are going to submit half baked reports on t he flood damage then no one is going to be convinced and why should the people suffer because of the sheer incompetence of the Government and its employees, is a question we want to ask now.                           

(Courtesy: The Sangai Express) 

 Copyright © 2002 ManipurOnline. A Virgo Communications Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED..  | Privacy Policy | Contact Us