Manifestos are coming out thick and fast from political parties contesting the 2023 elections. Most manifestos are generic in nature and give a broad brush of governance issues. Political parties that are yet to be tried and tested have publicly stated that they will ensure corruption-free governance and look into corruption cases by the previous government if voted to power. The problem is that apart from the urban voters who feel that corruption is a debilitating factor and the reason why Meghalaya is economically weaker, the bulk of the voters in rural Meghalaya don’t really understand why corruption is the bane of governance and deprives them of their right to a range of resources. Corruption is a form of tyranny as it deprives those with the greatest need for state services on account of their poverty. Corruption is the reason why over 32% of Meghalaya’s population has dipped below the poverty line.
In the rural areas the public distribution system is often subverted. Money is being made on transportation of food grains. Money is being made from road construction projects. In fact, money is being made from every conceivable project from every department. Right now the much-touted claim that the Jal Jeevan Mission has reached every village and household is a hollow claim. But the problem is that people in villages don’t know of this scheme. They still spend hours at water points waiting to fill water in a queue. This does not bother the officials of the PHED or the minister in charge of the Department. People are so used to not being serviced by government schemes that they are grateful for small improvements in their lives.
The Power Department has existed before statehood but there are still many villages that do not yet have electricity. Ground reports have found smart meters being fixed in homes that do not yet have electricity. There cannot be more gross corruption than this! Yet people wallowing in poverty and ignorance don’t know that they are being short-changed. Even during the campaign period, people don’t raise questions over these burning issues. Candidates come, give long speeches and leave no space for people to raise questions. This monologic election campaign has to give way to something better. Corruption is the biggest enemy that must be fought head on. In Meghalaya there are too few people in the urban centres that are aware about the Right to Information (RTI) as a tool to bring the corrupt to book. The RTI movement has not really reached the rural areas of Meghalaya but why would the government care when it is better served if people continue to remain ignorant of their rights.
