This is an era of awards. There is an award for every aspect of human life and now the award syndrome has entered the lexicon of governments too. Its difficult to keep track of who has got which award for what? There are just too many of them – one overlapping into the other without any visible results on the ground. Some weeks ago the Sustainable Transport and Efficient Mobility Society (STEMS) was awarded in New Delhi even when the buses intended for transportation of school students to prevent too many vehicles from clogging the streets of Shillong had just a few takers. Even government employees are unwilling to sign up for this public transportation system because the idea of public transport is alien to those that can afford a vehicle. The fact that the leading institutions of the city that create the most traffic jams between Dhankheti and Laitumkhrah and Dhankheti and Fire Brigade have refused to use school buses and that the Government has not been able to make them comply is enough indication that the STEM services is as yet only at the trial stage and should have proven itself before it could be awarded. A genuine award takes stock of an initiative over a period of time. But now awards are a dime a dozen.
The latest award won by the Government is in the power sector and that for ‘energy saving initiatives.’ The question to ask is whether load shedding particularly once the dry season sets in is an ‘energy saving tactic’ or an energy crisis. The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) had come in for sharp criticism from the Comptroller & Auditor General for the year ending March 2022 for injudicious decision of MePDCL for awarding works under SAUBHAGYA to contractors at their quoted rates resulted in avoidable expenditure of Rs 156.14 crore. The Cabinet Secretary, Government of India had in a video conference on December 14, 2018 with the Chief Secretary of the Government of Meghalaya and other officials suggested that the Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) of SAUBHAGYA be cancelled since the rates quoted by Turnkey Contractors (TKC) were above the estimated cost and going for fresh tenders would delay the completion of the project. But despite assuring the Cabinet Secretary that the advisory would be followed, MePDCL went ahead with the tender and awarded the works to the TKC thereby extending undue financial benefit to them.
This was called out by the media and a dubious fact- finding committee was commissioned which gave the Government a clean chit. That public memory on all corruption cases in Meghalaya are short-lived is another matter.The question to the MeECL is what is the award for? And why is the Government of Meghalaya so underconfident that it needs these photo-ops of ministers and bureaucrats receiving sundry awards at the hands of dignitaries in Delhi, to pep itself up? It will not be surprising if soon there is some award for the Education or the Health Department too even when our indices on both are woefully below par.
