The hunt for Easy Goodwill – State Policy
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 3rd June 2014
The race to search and procure Easy Goodwill at state level seems to be building up amongst leaders at state level especially for the states where elections are due in next couple of years. Various ideas being mulled upon and the state bureaucrats seem to be evaluating options to mollify the street vendors often at the cost of established shops, since this area seems to be having better vote potential although this causes revenue leakages since the street vendors cannot be monitored for taxes. State leaders may also be weighing upon mechanism to shed assets i.e. unutilized lands and buildings which may be in high demand through push mechanism such as advertisement and auctions. This is seen as means to raise resources by tools of states such as various Development authorities, State undertakings and Special Purpose vehicles. The ways and means to do away with irritants like illegal occupants/sundry legal hurdles etc. are being explored. Like some of the state leaders seem to be weighing options to control Transmission and Distribution losses, a far cry from just a few month ago when these were essential components of the Neta support system without which politics couldn’t have been sustained. This is because major losses are reported from the Industrial cluster besides the rich households and large farms. Off these, industrial sector and rich households seem to be on the target since their impact/influence to get votes is minimal while contribution to party coffers now include need to bring in votes as well which may be through pushing party’s publicity. If such contribution seems not to be forthcoming, then party in power may want to build revenues so that these can be leveraged to roll out development expenditure on roads, schools and hospitals which are likely to fetch easy goodwill. Although it must be said that regularization of power supply for Police Thanas/Chowkis etc. are still a far cry and these still continue to be non-reformed.
Expensive handout schemes are being re-evaluated strictly for the vote potential vis-à-vis expenses incurred. Resentment of local population against illegal miners seems to be receiving some ears although action may still be far away. State leaders also seem to be mulling ways to exercise stronger monitoring of the operational units of public services such as schools, public health centers/hospitals, ration shops and subsidized supplies. Options for e-governance induced efficiency are being actively explored provided the same may be available as some self financing option. Suitable monitoring and reporting mechanism for projects in state is also being envisaged so that they can play up state performance (for state/PPP and private projects) while highlight central apathy towards non-performing central government projects. Off course the last one is seen as win-win since it helps catapult the development in state and thus pushes up employment. This may yield the governing party at state some political brownie points over rivals since a plethora of central government announcements remain pending in suspended animation with lack of political will or economic viability either to push such projects or absence of will to cancel these projects due to associated political faceoff.
Employment generation and improvement of agricultural productivity seems to be other areas which can have huge impact on the political fortunes and way to push these up are being explored along side the well wishers of the leading party. All these augurs well as far as change is concerned however what will it yield at the end is what matters to common man. Very few state level leaders seem to be ripening for the game yet barring from newbie party which presently has little control over situation anywhere but this tells a lot about our Netas for sure.
By: Amit Bhushan Date: 3rd June 2014
The race to search and procure Easy Goodwill at state level seems to be building up amongst leaders at state level especially for the states where elections are due in next couple of years. Various ideas being mulled upon and the state bureaucrats seem to be evaluating options to mollify the street vendors often at the cost of established shops, since this area seems to be having better vote potential although this causes revenue leakages since the street vendors cannot be monitored for taxes. State leaders may also be weighing upon mechanism to shed assets i.e. unutilized lands and buildings which may be in high demand through push mechanism such as advertisement and auctions. This is seen as means to raise resources by tools of states such as various Development authorities, State undertakings and Special Purpose vehicles. The ways and means to do away with irritants like illegal occupants/sundry legal hurdles etc. are being explored. Like some of the state leaders seem to be weighing options to control Transmission and Distribution losses, a far cry from just a few month ago when these were essential components of the Neta support system without which politics couldn’t have been sustained. This is because major losses are reported from the Industrial cluster besides the rich households and large farms. Off these, industrial sector and rich households seem to be on the target since their impact/influence to get votes is minimal while contribution to party coffers now include need to bring in votes as well which may be through pushing party’s publicity. If such contribution seems not to be forthcoming, then party in power may want to build revenues so that these can be leveraged to roll out development expenditure on roads, schools and hospitals which are likely to fetch easy goodwill. Although it must be said that regularization of power supply for Police Thanas/Chowkis etc. are still a far cry and these still continue to be non-reformed.
Expensive handout schemes are being re-evaluated strictly for the vote potential vis-à-vis expenses incurred. Resentment of local population against illegal miners seems to be receiving some ears although action may still be far away. State leaders also seem to be mulling ways to exercise stronger monitoring of the operational units of public services such as schools, public health centers/hospitals, ration shops and subsidized supplies. Options for e-governance induced efficiency are being actively explored provided the same may be available as some self financing option. Suitable monitoring and reporting mechanism for projects in state is also being envisaged so that they can play up state performance (for state/PPP and private projects) while highlight central apathy towards non-performing central government projects. Off course the last one is seen as win-win since it helps catapult the development in state and thus pushes up employment. This may yield the governing party at state some political brownie points over rivals since a plethora of central government announcements remain pending in suspended animation with lack of political will or economic viability either to push such projects or absence of will to cancel these projects due to associated political faceoff.
Employment generation and improvement of agricultural productivity seems to be other areas which can have huge impact on the political fortunes and way to push these up are being explored along side the well wishers of the leading party. All these augurs well as far as change is concerned however what will it yield at the end is what matters to common man. Very few state level leaders seem to be ripening for the game yet barring from newbie party which presently has little control over situation anywhere but this tells a lot about our Netas for sure.