It is said that in a democracy we get the government we deserve. So do we deserve a corrupt government that pays least attention to human development and focuses on short term vote-catching strategies? It is a bad practice to allocate resources to an elected representative that allows arbitrary spending outside the ambit of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s vigilant eye. The MLA Development Scheme (MLADS) or the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) allows the MLA/MP to spend money on the collective needs of the constituency, specifically for creating community assets such as roads, footpaths, water supply systems, school buildings or furniture etc. However, over the years the MLADS has been used by respective MLAs to secure their seats by giving personal favours to their constituents . The distribution of personal utility goods like dinner seats/tea sets, blankets, buckets shawls etc., is not what the MLADS is for. But people are happy to accept those instead of standing tall and telling off their MLA for reducing the MLADS to a personal spending spree. The MLADS has created a culture of patronage democracy which has worsened over the years.
Each MLA in Meghalaya gets Rs 2 crore a year or Rs 10 crore in five years. This adds up to a total of Rs 600 crore. This amount, if judiciously spent would have been visible and tangible but because most of the money is misused to shower largesse to voters at the fag end of the MLA’s tenure it becomes a political resource for that MLA. An enlightened constituency would have asked searching questions from the MLA as to how he/she used the MLADS. But people are so disempowered that they dare not raise their voices. Platforms for public audit and questioning which are the essences of democracy are not available, at least in Meghalaya. People are taken for granted and treated with disdain. Such is democracy in this country! The few who stick their necks out to audit the MLA are taken to task. No wonder democracy is called the tyranny of the majority. When that majority is largely unthinking and unquestioning and is voting on petty considerations of family, clan and religion then democracy is doomed to fail and fail it has. A mere once in five year election does not a democracy make!