2008/01/29

Democracy frustrating

The Statesman

Social activists and voluntary organisations had not much praise for the government in a “Citizens’ Report on Governance & Development 2007”, released by Professor Sunanda Sanyal today. The report was prepared by the National Social Watch Process.

KOLKATA, Jan. 29: Social activists and voluntary organisations had not much praise for the government in a “Citizens’ Report on Governance & Development 2007”, released by Professor Sunanda Sanyal today. The report was prepared by the National Social Watch Process.

The Bengali version of the summary report is being produced by the West Bengal Social Watch. Mr Biplab Halim, West Bengal Social Watch convenor and general secretary of the Forum of Voluntary Organisations, West Bengal, said: “We have to go for micro-level study on land reforms and land conflicts taking place in the state and the status report should be published within six months.”

The citizens’ report made public today focuses on the three pillars of democracy: Parliament, judiciary and local self government. One of the major focus areas of the UPA government ~ job creation ~ came under criticism in the report, as it finds that implementation of job creation schemes such as the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a favourite of Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s “aam aadmi” campaign, is flawed.

“We have great laws, but their implementation is another story,” Prof Sanyal said.
Even as the world watches with awe the fast growth rate of India’s GDP, the overall rate of employment growth dropped from 2.01 per cent in 1983-1994 to 1.84 per cent in 1994-2005.

Another point the report makes is the “revolution of rising frustrations” in Parliament, as MPs make themselves scarce from Parliament when its in session, take cash for questions, and “the ruling party gets richer and richer, while the people get poorer”. “The public spends Rs 26,035 a second on Parliament, and yet fewer and fewer Bills are being passed,” Prof Sanyal said. Privatisation of health services is yet another spoke in the wheel of development, the report said.

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