Governance with a difference!

All it takes is honesty, impartiality and sincerity.

I believe in and practise democracy by conviction. So, in any case these lines should not be interpreted as a campaign to denigrate political governance and people’s participation in governance—democracy in political parlance. For the last several weeks our state is under governor’s rule, certainly a provision within the state’s constitution. The Governor’s rule was imposed after people’s representatives failed to come to a conclusion of shaping a government. But even after constitutional validation and faults on part of the elected representatives such absolute centralization and concentration of administrative powers within a handful of people is viewed negatively. Different people have different opinion about the present spell of Governor’s rule. Politicians instead of blaming their ego and failure always demonise such arrangements of governance and on the other hand people as always make assessment on performance of the government. However, a few weeks’ time is a very short spell to assess performance of an administrative setup more comprehensively.After 2014 floods our state and its people tasted more of politics than good governance. Hung assembly with unique fractured mandate left very little scope for good governance and has paved a long way for political maneuvering and browbeating. Since 2014 elections we have seen more political haggling than promised good governance, leaving us in desperation only to lick our earlier wounds of maladministration. This is not the first time we experienced governor’s rule since 2014 elections, but even at that time shrewd political bargaining led to a brief spell of Governor’s rule with the sole agenda of facilitating installation of a political government. Interestingly, this time governor’s rule is concerned more about administration. Frankly speaking, this time round administration and governance is more visible than earlier. There can be several reasons for this change. The most important and influencing factor for this efficient and prompt governance is zero political interference. Political interference in governance is must, but only as a matter of policy at higher level and in a more disciplined way. Political interventions in day to day affairs of administration prove not only detrimental for good governance, but a larger section of people feel disgruntled because of injustice and favoritism.

Present administrative dispensation under the leadership of Governor and his team of advisors is vested with sweeping powers and surely they have utilized their administrative power not only judiciously but more efficiently as well. Restoring confidence of people in administration in the shortest period, deciding priorities of governance with sureness and delivering to the satisfaction of people without any favor is the biggest achievement of this government. What political governments could not decide and achieve in months and years, this administration delivered in weeks. The case of absconding doctors, a case study, where comparison between decision making of political administration and an apolitical administration will reveal the real face of our political system. Fixing the loose ends of administration regarding punctuality, efficiency, accountability and decision making has changed the face of our administrative setup.

Over the years, particularly after eighties political shadows and unwarranted interference has ruined the health of state’s administration. Nepotism and undue favors at the hands of political patronage to a particular section with proverbial ‘blue eyes’ created a huge nexus of corruption, ultimately leading to inefficiency and bad governance. The present spell of governance by Governor and his aides with dedication being the only attribute on their side has proved that even without a huge policy and decision making apparatus things can be decided efficiently and honestly in shortest span of time. Subjects of a state remain calm and cool only when either there is no governance or they experience good governance and in present case of quietness we have comparatively better governance in place.

During the last more than a month Governor’s administration has taken several important administrative decisions ranging from fair transfer policy to deciding issues in the best interest of people, not that traditional misleading policy ‘in the interest of administration’. Pleading interests of the state and pursuing financial and other matters with the federal government vigorously reveal the best of this administration. Without belittling politicians and political system of governance this administrative mechanism has created a new trend for good governance that too in shortest possible time and within a hostile atmosphere. They have proved that good governance costs nothing but honesty, impartiality and sincerity.