By Phrangsngi Pyrtuh
In his recent weekly article (the 14th Monday edition) Mr Mohrmen signed off by challenging Dr Mukul Sangma and his government to transform the state the way Nitish Kumar did for Bihar. Much before Nitish Kumar came to the scene Narendra Modi of Gujarat had ruled and imparted dramatic improvements to the state through a development model that is apparently based on good governance. Unknown to many though Meghalaya is treading the trajectory path of these two states (as far as our CM is concerned) albeit in reverse direction. There are marked similarities between Gujarat, Bihar and Meghalaya as far as claims and counter claims are concerned. Let me spell out what they are. In recent times these charismatic leaders have been harping on the development model of their respective states as the best model for the country. Nitish and Modi have laid solid development programs reflected in the annual Planning Commission’s state performance. Other reports on the socio-economic parameters conducted by various agencies endorsed the improvements made in these two states. Notably these two states are not special category states the way Meghalaya is and therefore growth by any measure is significant especially for Bihar- India’s Achilles heel. Of course it is a different matter that these statesman are vying for each other’s blood and denigrating each other’s development model at present. However one cannot simply dismiss the success story of these two states even though there are questions regarding inclusive growth, minorities etc. The CM of these states are within their rights to hoot their horns and proclaim that their development agenda is the best for the country to replicate.
Not to be left behind though, our very own, CM Dr Mukul Sangma in late 2012 stated that the development model of the state is also worth replicating by the other states in the country. This rhetoric is easily dismissed as it was easily said. We need to have a comparative understanding of the state vis-à-vis others to know why this is so. The growth success story has become an obsession of late even though growth rate varies every year depending on different factors some of which cannot be foreseen or predicted. Last year Madhya Pradesh dislodged Bihar from the numero uno position and topped the list of best performing states in terms of GSDP. In the north east Sikkim continues to attract the attention of the policy planners for sustainable development and policy implementation and is always admired by the policy planners. Recently it was awarded excellence in public administration for rural management and development not to mention the many laurels it achieved in the last many years. Surely one feels dismayed to see our neighboring states progressing. Militant afflicted Manipur is upgrading its domestic airport along international standards with international flights all set for operation sometime this year. Ours has stopped functioning altogether. Mizoram impressed with its high literacy crossing of 80% achieved by 1991 when Meghalaya’s literacy rate was not even 50%. Tripura is on the verge of declaring full literacy sometime this year. There are many visible change in these states which otherwise is difficult to trace in our state. Projects come and go and if all construction projects take almost 20-30 years to be completed or to even start (that is almost half of the life expectancy of the state). We scarcely see development and seldom can we talk about it. Our parents do not know it and the younger generation does not understand what development means. There never was a development model in Meghalaya and there would be none going by the way things are. So what kind of development model is our CM selling to the rest of the country? We are kept in the dark while he goes about singing songs of praises on the state’s development model.
The Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion Programme- a pet project of the Chief Minister is still at its infancy stage. It is still too early to declare the project a success. The CM is 101% sure that the project would solve the problems of unemployment and what have you in the state and is leaving no stone unturned to ensure it gets maximum publicity at almost every important event such as the recent 46th annual general meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the national capital. One has only to look at the various development programs of the state government to be pessimistic of anything that bears the signature of the government (then and now). The New Shillong Township model is in limbo and would not progress for the next decade or two while Shillong and its suburbs suffer from urban angst. If projects do not fail they are delayed. The Greater Shillong Water Supply Scheme (GSWSS) is a case in point.
Another project with scam like features already appearing is the Myntdu-Leshka Hydro electric project. While operation of the project is like playing hide and seek, what is obvious is that it managed to fatten the bank balances of its engineers and contractors. It is believed that the project is heading for doomsday unless some miracle happens. If projects and hence development operates through miracle our CM can definitely vouch this as our development model. The educational scene is far worse. Unqualified teachers and lecturers getting jobs in reputed educational institutions while sidelining more qualified and experienced teachers have become a common woe discouraging students to pursue further studies. The development model of the state does not seem to cater to the qualified and the best in the field.
Poverty has increased as per the Planning Commission’s 2012 report. Where has development taken place in the two years that Dr Sangma assumed power? Granted that two years is too little a time to rectify and pull the state from the precipice of an unending slide but so is the claim that the state’s development model is ideal for replication by the country. Meghalaya is one of the beggar states and just like the other north eastern states depends on the central government for 90 % of funds and grants for development purposes. Infrastructural constraints continue to hinder the state’s integration with the national and international economy. Power and electricity -the lifeline of modern society is increasingly being asserted as a benchmark of development. Modi’s development model encapsulated the aspiration of the people by providing Gujaratis 24/7 power supply without interruption even in remote areas of the state. Meghalaya continues to reel under intense power shortage so unfitting for a state that is apparently being touted as a development model of the country.
The institutional and cultural variation so diverse in this country makes it impossible to have a tried-tested and successful model in one part of the country to be replicated in another. The condition (economic, social and political) of Gujarat is vastly different from our state and so is the state from the rest of the country. It is a blasphemy to pitchfork one’s development model as the best for the rest under these circumstances. The CM needs to have a model that is transparent and consultative. Institutional change and delivery is of utmost importance and this is possible if governance reigns and not government. Development needs to empower people which is a long term agenda. Two years or even five years would be difficult to transform Meghalaya considering nothing much has happened in the last 40 years. It’s not a one man job. The CM needs all the help he can get. He should rather act than speak. Personal glory and honor should be secondary. The development model if we have one should be people centric and not power centric where only the few benefit. We await such a model.