The essence of democracy is to evolve a system in which people of a given state rule them and in their best interests. People have to elect their representatives through a recognized system for which the institution of Election Commission is formally put to work. Parliamentary democracy is essentially a slow and lethargic process but it is a steady and well considered process. The question is that if the representatives of the people are invested with power and will of the people at large, then the entire administrative structure shall have to give due importance and respect to the decision of both the houses of legislature. The question of ruling and opposition parties disagreeing on certain issues is the normal process and is not to be considered either a weakness or failure of democracy. The crux of the matter is the majority vote as well as the consensus of opinion if it is easily arrived at. Bureaucracy is an instrument structured by the State to carry forward the policies and decisions of the House of Representatives. In a sense entire administrative structure has, on matter of principle adhere to the policies and wishes of the legislature. It is not a question of whether the executive is subservient to legislature or not. The three organs of the State, namely Legislature, Judiciary and the Executive have to work in complete coordination to yield most satisfactory results.
A recognized process is that the legislature constitutes House Committees, also sometimes called panels, to examine and report on the functionality of different departments or take stock of various projects in order to appraise the house how much progress has been made and what remains to be done. The Committees have vast area to deal with and very often make some solid recommendations to overcome hurdles and obstructions in carrying forward Government policy. The point we want to emphasize here is that regrettably the recommendations of the House Committees made from time to time and placed on the table during the sessions of the Assembly are not taken seriously. It has to be remembered that the reports of the House Committees are essentially based on what goes in the interests of the people. That is the litmus test of a democratic dispensation. Unfortunately, in our State, the reports of the House Committees have not been often given the credibility and respect that these deserve. The Executive has more often than not shown scant interest in translating the recommendations and suggestions of the House Committees into practice. As a result, the law makers feel that they are not shown the respect they deserve and at the same time it hinders the progress of development of the State in its various areas.
Daily Excelsior has been throughout pleading with the Executive to honour the reports and suggestions of the House Committees and has been warning with all seriousness that relegating the reports to back burner would mean loss for the people. In anyway, we are somewhat relieved to know that now the General Administration Department has issued strong circulars to administrative heads and Secretaries/Commissioners to ensure that the recommendations of the House Committees are enforced in letter and in spirit. GAD should have woken up long before and saved the loss that has ensued owing to delay. There has to be no room for compromising with the recommendations and the power and prestige of the House has to be upheld at any cost. We are confident that many administrative ills will be remedied and many loopholes will be plugged once the executive begins to go by the word of the legislators. If that practice is adopted, and that has to be adopted at any cost, the onus of the policies and actions of the Government will come to the legislators and they are answerable to the people at large. We presume that enforcement of the suggestions will not in practice be detrimental to the interests of the people in any case yet even if difficulties emerge, the House is the proper forum where a solution or a remedy can be found.
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