Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 1: Translating good governance slogan into reality would be a herculean task for the new dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir as all the vital institutions, which have crucial role to play in this regard, are presently lying dead and require new lease of life.
All the mainstream parties particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which have won major chunk of seats and are staking claims to form the next Government in the State, made good governance a major slogan during the electioneering for the just concluded Assembly polls.
While PDP’s ‘Inspirational Agenda’ says, that effective governance would be the major priority of the party on formation of Government, the ‘Vision Document’ of BJP promises good governance to the people of the State, which according to them, they are yearning for since long.
However, translating this slogan into reality will be a daunting task for the new dispensation as all those institutions, which have a pivotal role to play in providing good and effective governance to the people, are presently dead and new lease of life is required to be infused in them.
Keeping in view the long list of such ‘dead’ institutions, the new dispensation will have to lay focus on each one of them right from the very beginning, as making them functional is also a time-consuming process and involves lengthy process. Allowing such institutions to remain in present condition would amount to compromising on the major poll plank, said political observers.
First, the Government will have to initiate process for putting in place Municipal Corporations and Municipal Committees, the elections to which have not been held since January 2010 after expiry of earlier term. These are the grass root democratic institutions and play important role in resolving day-to-day grievances of the common masses, which is the mainstay of assuring good governance.
Similarly, the new dispensation would have to establish two remaining tiers of Panchayati Raj System by holding elections to the Block Development Councils and constituting District Planning and Development Boards, which could not see the light of day in the history of the State. Moreover, the Government would have to fully empower the Panchayats in order to involve them in the developmental process.
In order to ensure accountability in the functioning of Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats, the Government would have no other option but to put in place separate Ombudsman, which has not received any serious attention in the State despite provision for the same in the legislation governing these grass root democratic institutions. Similarly, Finance Commission is required to be established to oversee the financial aspects of these institutions.
Keeping in view the prevailing corruption in the State, the Government will have to infuse new lease of life in the dead State Accountability Commission in order to achieve the objective of eradication of vice of corruption, favouritism and nepotism besides to maintain probity, transparency and improving the efficiency in public services.
This vital Commission became defunct on August 20, 2014 after Chairperson Justice (retd), Y P Nargotra and Member Justice (retd) Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain, who were appointed in August 2011, completed their three year tenure. Since August 2014, no attention was paid to make this Commission functional and new Government will have to make this institution fully functional within shortest possible time.
“Making functional this Commission is also imperative as both the parties, which received the mandate of the people to form the Government, had spoken a lot about tackling corruption menace which has defamed Jammu and Kashmir across the country”, political observers said.
Likewise, Public Service Commission will have to be made functional by appointing men of highest integrity so as to ensure selection of candidates for the gazetted posts in most transparent manner. “It is expected that the new dispensation would not allow this Commission to become rehabilitation centre for blue-eyed persons and instead ensure highly competitive persons to run the affairs of this institution”, political observers said while referring to recent controversy involving the names recommended for the Chairman and Members of PSC.
Establishment of Commission for strict implementation of Public Services Guarantee Act, which was announced during the last Budget Session, would have to be given serious thought by the new dispensation as it is very imperative to monitor the adherence to the Act by the officials of those departments, whose services have been brought under the purview of this legislation.
State Human Rights Commission and Backward Classes Commission, which have also been rendered paralytic during the past quite long time, would have to be revived by the Government in a time bound manner in order to achieve the objective behind establishment of these institutions.
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