By Benjamin Lyngdoh
The development of Meghalaya depends on the interplay of state government spending, role and mindset of the people, and most importantly a sense of responsibility of all stakeholders. The interplay is however disjointed, distorted and in most cases completely missing. This explains the current socio-economic status of Meghalaya especially in the areas of education and healthcare. Unless this chronic ailment is addressed, no amount of money and/or social intervention will bring any tangible and inclusive outcomes. Failure to address the issue will only result in an ever increasing inequality between the rich and poor. Ultimately this will result in a society which is insecure and unsafe (and maybe, even an uprising; a recent example – Arab Spring [Meghalaya Spring?]).
The myth
Pictures and video clips of dilapidated schools, poor quality of mid-day meals, sub-standard road and bridges construction, low quality government procurements such as furniture, etc have been doing the rounds on social media. Most of the comments point to ‘this is how government spending works and shall continue to do.’ The myth that is blindly believed by all is that – ‘if it is a government spending then it is bound to be dilapidated, poor quality, sub-standard, etc’. This myth has to be shattered if at all Meghalaya is to recover and tread on a path to progress. No private party has the capacity to invest as much as the government. There will always be an unfair comparison of the spending capacity of the state government as against the private parties. For instance, recently Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma highlighted that his government has spent Rs. 3000 crores in the past few years on education, sports, and entrepreneurship. This is just a small indicator of the propensity of the state government to spend. But, what is actually required is proper spending. It is to be realized that since the government spends so much, hence and in truth the quality of construction/procurement should also be top-notch and far better than the private sector. The only factor is that the same kind of discipline and strictness as seen in private spending is also required in government spending. This is the only aspect that is required to be fulfilled for progress to happen in the public sector.
Red buses – a failed project
A morning school hours experiment at Nongthymmai (Jingkieng Junction) – for every three public vehicles (mainly taxis) that passes by, there are seven private vehicles. The red buses project under the banner of Shillong Public Transport Service (SPTS) was supposed to be a game changer for public transportation. After all, the hallmark of a robust public transportation service is not one that depends on small vehicles but one that is driven by bigger modes such as buses. The red buses were inaugurated with much fanfare but alas, it has come to nothing. A number of such buses are lying unused in Laitkor, Mawpat, Mawkynroh-Umshing, etc. All of them are dilapidated and worth as scrap only. The few which are still running are in a bad shape with no signs of proper maintenance. The red buses are a perfect example of a failed government spending. The state government could have taken more proactive steps to keep the project running. The lack of will power to adequately monitor its performance resulted in its downfall. In Meghalaya, a lot of government spending can be witnessed but with no mechanism to monitor the people who are responsible for operations. One can only hope that the STEMS buses will not see the same fate.
People
The perspective of people towards government assets is so wrong. There is no sense of care, attachment, and loyalty. One can easily observe and conclude as to how we as people treat government property. The same care and attachment that we give to our private computers or mobile phones or furniture or vehicle or buses, etc is missing when it comes to public assets/properties. This tells a lot about the psyche of the Meghalayan societies. There is a tendency to treat government assets as being free, and hence, they can be used in any way one wishes without an iota of care and loyalty. A scratch happens on a government vehicle and we are indifferent, but, when the same happens to our private vehicles, the heartache and pain will give sleepless nights. There is little realization that any government spending is meant as a means of livelihood for the people and to be nurtured and passed on for generations (take public transportation as an example). Unless the perspective changes the people are partners in crime in the shabby and shady government spending.
Corruption
In 1985, the then Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi said that ‘of every rupee that is spent on poverty alleviation and social welfare, only 15 paise reaches the targeted beneficiary’. In the context of development, this explains as to why economic inequality has always been on the rise. Corruption is an ailment that impacts upon the plates of the poor as it deprives the stakeholders of employment opportunities, well-being, growth, and self esteem. Take for instance a developmental project of Rs. 10 lakh meant for rural areas. If only less than half of that amount is actually invested on the ground, it implies a lesser number of beneficiaries engaged in the project which in turn results in lesser people with purchasing power which then impacts upon the demand on the local economy and ultimately on business and entrepreneurship (not to mention the poor quality of construction). It is a must that the exact intended government spending should actually reach the grassroots. Thus, discrepancies and backwardness in Meghalaya is directly related to the issue of corruption.
Utopian political thoughts
The inherent goals of politics is the creation of a city-state for achieving outcomes of virtue and well-being and on these pillars attain economic growth, development, social peace and security, equal opportunities, etc. Virtues and values such as honesty, fairness, justice, equality and equity, ethics, etc., take centre stage in all actions and interventions of the government. But today, these are just utopian political thoughts. If one is to talk about such aspects in a political platform or any forum, he/she will most definitely be mocked and even mercilessly trolled on social media. The voters have lost their souls. The inherent nature of politics is dead!
In the end, the people should not refrain from their responsibility to call out the government of the day in scenarios of poor governance. But, this is a bit of a misnomer as the civil society in Meghalaya is benign and docile when it comes to questioning matters of poor governance. Well, if better days are to be expected then this has to change and everyone will have to play their small/big parts.
(The writer teaches at NEHU; Email – [email protected])