The English language phrase ‘light-fingered’ means a thief and a robber. Do not get disturbed if we are applying this derogatory term to the State Government. The Government proves by its repeated actions that it is adept at theft and burglary of public funds, which the public, unfortunately, does not know because the Government machinery works in a manner that reveals as little as possible to the outsider. The truth and the facts come out in open only when probing takes place through either the media or the PIL and other judicial means. Impartial media has to bring to the notice of the civil society, where and in what manner the Government steals from the public exchequer.
In the first place, our Government is afflicted with the chronic disease of disrespecting the Right to Information Act to people who approach with a request to that effect. Government agencies bring one or the other pretext to stall revealing of information. However, if it feels that it cannot make more pretexts in specific cases all that it is willing to do is to come out with bits of information, incoherent and inconsistent. The result is that cases under PIL are piling up day after day and the courts are not capable of adjudicating these within a short span of time to mitigate the impression that justice delayed is justice denied.
In these editorials, we have repeatedly raised the question of why the State Government invariably falters in successfully undertaking and completing some of the vital national projects floated by the Central Government. This is not true of a stray project. It is a phenomenon that has become the practice and what a wrong and disastrous practice? When we consider the phenomenon, we will conclude that the State Government is not only light-fingered but is anti-people. It is somewhat of a paradox to call an elected Government anti-people. Deeper analysis of State Government’s non-implementation of Central Government’s flagship schemes proves that self-aggrandizement at all levels overrides these schemes. Political bigwigs, ministers, top brass of bureaucracy and financially and politically powerful and influential persons make no secret of their selfish interests and the mileage they can draw from a given scheme. In addition, if they do not find the possibility of greasing their palms, yet the least they can do is to create obstructions to stall the scheme.
Some time back, the Union Government launched a scheme titled Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG-NREGA). The Act stipulates that the rural labourers will be guaranteed at least 100 wages days in a year. Proper identity cards were issues to the rural labourers who would fall under the scheme. The essential purpose was to provide livelihood to the poor people of rural India who are unable to find regular work. The Central Government provided funds, instructions and roadmap of implementing the scheme in the states, including our State. Thousands of poor labourers in the State would have benefited from it if the scheme were launched in letter and in spirit. Unfortunately, that was not the case. We have evidence to show that functionaries of Rural Development Department misused allocated funds for activities without remotest connection with the scheme. An aggrieved person filed a PIL in the High Court alleging that an amount of Rs 21850 was paid to a tent service provider of Old Bus Stand, Rajouri, vide cheque No.558256 for making seating arrangements in connection with the visit by the then Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather and Minister of State, Shabir Ahmed Khan to Manjakote Block. If this is not theft of public money, what else is it? It means the funds provided by the Government of India for rural development are utilized for projecting political profile of a sitting minister of a particular ruling political party and not for the real purpose of uplifting rural population. This is not only broad day burglary it is also anti-people activity. The worst part of the story is that the Commissioner-Secretary Rural Development Department did not respond to the instructions of the court asking the department to submit the status report by specific date. Greatly incensed with the Department, the court has given one week’s time to the Government to file its report.
This is no way to claim that we have good governance. To put it in crude words, we may say that there are now increasing cases of the administration not responding to the instructions, directives and orders of the High Court. It is an attempt at sabotaging democratic institutions of the State. We reluctantly warn the Government that subversion of judicial system and democratic institutions will be disastrous for the State.
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