Planning Commission gone to dustbin, now 'Niti Ayog' : India reduced to blah blah development

The government must set the priority on the basic essence of Indian planning system. The proposed renaming of planning commission, has no meaning unless there is functional change. Its not clear what the government wants, just throwing away the organisation and function is not the intention. May be blindly following the US way of doing of the things means we are entering into capitalist based economic system. But this would always increase fight between the states, and center should have minimum role in planning of state. Are states prepared to open planning and policy making. Policy making at the national level had been centres task and planning commission did many good things, just before rejected due to dislike of developed state as well as BJP ruled states. The axis of development would change post congress era but whether it should go away from constitutional commitments. If not, planning commission is best option available with little reform to suit the current macro requirements. Its sad that intellectuals and politicians who had taken big and bold steps are silent on serious basis of Indian economic and development system. This also shows serious lapse on our commitment to the world bodies. Is that so simple to change the name ' Niti Ayog' i.e. Policy commission, what about five year plan, we are getting away from plan regime means we do not now talk of poverty, inequality, inclusion and employment, but talk more of export-import, national security, industries, SEZ and urbanization. The national macro priorities have flipped now till they receive some serious thoughts from planning from below.

The policy making is loose till there is some essence in planning. Many have in past talked about planning from below, which mean decentralization of decisions. India needs to rethink on the development agenda at par with the directions from the UNDP or ADB or WTO or UNFCC in order to follow the agenda of world on one hand and look for the solutions for the problems at hand. The land and agricultural policies connected with the livelihood of the masses cannot be resolved by making policy (we already have plenty). The centre needs to redistribute the funds in order to reduce the inequality amongst the states and its people. The resources in the country is not equally distributed thus making the role of centre very important to address the regional and sector based issues.

The past commission did not pay much attention to the regional needs including those of states and districts, the legislative power given to the local bodies including district authorities also needs to be enhanced. The district development plans must now be given top priority while taking for the developments. Most of the problem facing the country are felt locally and can be resolved by having the integrated development plans. The resource exploitation has become serious threat to the eco-systems, fueling the migrations trends. The justifiable development must be achieved by going towards the people centeric approach in planning.

Where is direction to the nation by changing these names, the frequency of neglect of the primary and secondary sector is serious. While growth may happen from the FDI investments but this would also destroy the synergies between the people and state. The manufacturing capacities of the Indian people and markets are understated and killed by systematic intrusion by the foreigners in our economic space. It seems we would be back to the imperialism of economic character with more loose strings now going into the MNC giants. The vested interest have taken now control of the economic systems to retain the benefits of economic growth to few and planning to leave the rest of India on its own.

Instead of reviving the public systems if governments in power in centre and state chooses to ignore them, there is going to be total chaos in social order which might be starting from below. The time might be appropritate for the citizens and working class to understand that their strengths are misunderstood in present context. India, must be awake to the changes and support where ever  these are appropriate but also be strong enough to resist the change which can hamper their economic and social prospects. 

Development has got new Engine and Multiple Drivers in India

With the election over in most of the state, the dominance of the new political order is reflected in the way we deal with the issues in our hand. The state were subject to distinct development philosophy than the central government has to align with new change. The sudden shift in the goal post and the drivers of the government from background also reflected in change in direction of development. Instead of chasing the development goals of food, shelter and employment the current national government in India is looking for culture, education and hindu nationalism. The essential ingredient to divert the attention from acute poverty and unemployment, the role of market is now enhanced with more private money (investment) and government wants to achieve the development targets. The babus in the governments would now feel like corporate having made to negotiate with private corporations for the basic needs of the citizens. In no time the civil services are looking to be privatized, with more local governments and state is opening doors for market driven economy. The end of planned era and more dominance of right wing ideology is now tutoring the governments to stand for make over and understand the change.

The correction or readjustment of the historical facts to suit the government in power is up for debate in development circle, the argument of development is on the surface with top most leader is promising for the sea change in the way state has been addressed in last 60 years. The systems of the governance is looking for the change, with initial rise of the market hopes there is downfall on the extreme other hand. The economy hoping for the revival must wait for these fundamental change inside the governance of the plans and schemes. Till than there is scope for the international agencies and corporation to invest and partner with the government for delivering the goods and services to the citizens. More investment is expected in the states but by whom, the international order has also been changing with revival of the US economy.

The cultural change and sudden assertions of majority politics have thrown necessary evil to disturb the harmony in society. The national concern towards the spaces whether its rural or urban is of constant flip flop with little policy consistency. The sense of the urgency as promised in the elections are now tend to reduce as the days passes by the ruling government. Now these are the national concerns which have been little addressed when the government is questions still refuses to acknowledge there role. The clean operations stands foremost important before they start reflecting there thought, hence more active third layers of political class.

The focus on the cultural assertions through the government is must and so is the celebrations changing the national identities with more focus on Gita, Ganga, Gaye (Cow) and other such hindutva symbolism. Of these even many so called Hindu's are shamed by accepting a certain ideology which is still germinating from the heads of Nagpur clan of Hindus. The emergence of identities are distinct and new political class in race of taking control of nation is unsettled with principles of Indian constitutions.

Though its difficult to pass the judgement, but whether the development politics of the past would survive the test of present time. Keep you finger crossed!!

Governments are the party's property?

After years of democratic efforts to form the government the political parties in power have realized that its party's owned government or personalities owned govt. Is this what has been enshrined in the constitution. Whether representatives of people in form of MLA's or MPs are nothing before the rule which now supersedes party and later personalities? The debate is important since the governments are now addressed as congress or BJP governments, and prime ministers becomes the proprietary of a particular party. During last months there has been several instances when spokes person of the party in power also defends the government. Any question raised to the government is defended or responded by the party in power. Is it an attempt to shy away from the constitutional clarity that government belong to everybody and its the government or its representative which are answerable to the people not the party in power. There has been opinion made to supersede the party structure and officials over the government. The party forgets that its representation of people act which allows them to functions at the tops, they represent a group of people who support similar ideologies.

The position of the highest chair in the government does not belong to a party he must be representing the government in all times till he is in the chair. In the mode of opposition the representatives from the public also started to blame the parties rather than the government. A government is not merely contributed from the representatives of the people, rather other two arms too contributes for the success and failures of the programs. The agenda of political parties are to voice the opinion in the forum where other two section has equal chance to participate in administration. In todays time there is notion of supremacy by the political class not among the citizens but also among the functionaries of the governments.

The operation difficulties and understanding of the sectors are limited within the political parties but the latest tradition of enforcing the decision to functionaries of the government is not healthy. The recent cases of health disaster where targets are given by the secretaries are often enforced to the health officers leading to negligence by the doctors while performing their duties. Whether the officials have power to say no? There is amount of fear and anxiety when the voice of the functionaries other than the political class is not heard.

There is total take over of the government by the political class which in many a times not bound to take decision for the interest of the citizens. Often the political class is bound by the ideologies which binds the thoughts, which may not be rationale for implementation of the schemes. The recent cancellation of the planning commission, low lying knowledge commission, and missions by earlier government also points out that there will not be now policy consistency when the government is changed and ruled by different parties.

Majority must prevail in action, but this must also bring the political uncertainity and paralysis more frequent in the country. How does the development planning and schemes going to suffer in such frequent change of governments run by the political parties?

Cleaning Urban India: More System Failure than People

Nearly a month is near to end since our PM started campaign to clean India. Though it started from Valmiki Colony in Delhi, the Page 3 celebraties invited for the cleaning opearation inclucing many wealthy attracted eye balls from media. The publicity and oops moments of the stars are seen near the nallas of Mumbai to Bangalore and Kolkata. Does this intigated the citizens, check the reality facts at least in cities 60-80 of the streets are supposed to be cleaned by employees of Municipalities (of course street dust and occassional wastes), door to door collection of waste is done, citizens have come out to give waste to collectors. Whereever there is lack of services the waste is still lying on the floors. Of course media cannot go beyond India Gate and Lutians Delhi to show case clean roads and yards of Bunglow sprite clean by the NDMC. The accidental street sweepers did not like themselves to be photographed with regular employees but carried out their own schedule for the photo-ops.