Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra plans new programmes in the state, accused of playing politics

Promises made by politicians are, more often than not, to be taken with a pinch of salt. Small wonder, then, that Bihar Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra's plans for 30 new programmes in the state, which he claims will realise "our endless productive potential on the one hand and redistribution of wealth by way specially of looking after the old, the invalid, the poor the members of the weaker sections and the unemployed" have been viewed with scepticism.Mishra's new welfare schemes, which will cost Rs 66 crore, were included in the 1981-82 budget proposals. They include employment guarantee schemes, crop insurance, construction of beggar homes, death or injury benefit to kisans, the establishment of an Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science, the construction of 50,000 houses for the landless poor and a journalists' welfare fund. A closer scrutiny reveals that some old standbys, launched with much fanfare during the Emergency, have crept - in for instance, the welfare of rickshaw-pullers, workers' participation in management and residential schools for Adivasis and Harijans.On the face of it, there can hardly be anything controversial about these ideas. But Mishra has been accused of playing politics with them. A senior dissident Congress (I) leader points out: "Mishra knows well that with the best of intentions not even a fraction of them can be implemented. These political slogans will just eat away scarce revenues."Scepticism: Others echo the same view. "In a poor state like Bihar non-productive investments cannot even be thought of," commented Professor Shiv Chandra Jha, Congress (I) MLA. "Speaking as a lay man and not a party member," added Jha, "I must say that all these schemes would be at the cost of the state's development. None has employment potential." Mishra's critics point out that the state is consuming capital without any hope of returns. A case in point, they say, is the old-age pension scheme being implemented as a part of the social security scheme which was launched five months back with an initial investment of Rs 6 crore. The estimated investment, covering 12 lakh old and disabled till March, had since increased to Rs 19 crore. Similarly criticised is the proposed-unemployment allowance of Rs 50 a month to about two lakh educated - and often idle - youth.There's no denying the haste with which Mishra is pursuing his schemes. Secretariat sources admitted that at the time of the announcement the Cabinet had neither sanctioned them, nor had the department concerned assessed their full implications. Nearly a month later, Mishra said in an interview: "27 of the 30 schemes have now been cleared by the Cabinet and those who call them hollow promises are living in a fool's paradise. My government is committed to implement these with vigour and none should have doubts about it."Nlishra: Sponsoring expensive schemesBut Mishra's assurances notwithstanding, doubts persist, especially in the wake of reports that the Government was taking on the new commitments even as it was unable to utilise nearly Rs 70 crore out of 1980-81's annual plan outlay of Rs 468 crore. Mishra sent out hurried denials saying that only Rs 4 crore remained unspent, but official sources admitted that on March 31, the last day of the financial year, nearly Rs 100 crore was sanctioned and drawn to show that no surrender had been made.Tardy Bureaucracy: Mishra, who has promised to "reverse the process of inaction and non-performance", has undoubtedly to cope with a reluctant bureaucracy. According to Algoo Ram, chairman of the Water Development Corporation, the entire allotment of Rs 4.5 crore meant for sinking tubewells and constructing channels had lapsed because the money was not released by the officials despite orders from the chief minister. A senior Congress (I) leader said: "Heavy bribes are now demanded even for releasing funds for developmental projects. There is no coordination and cohesion in the ministry and each minister works with a personal factor. As a result of this, the bureaucracy does not care for the Government."Bihar's bureaucracy has a poor record when it comes to the implementation of developmental projects. Almost all massive projects on which large sums of money have been spent are fighting for survival because of improper implementation (India Today, September 16-30, 1980). Recently, the comptroller and auditor general of India in his report for 1978-79 pointed out that Bihar had lost revenue of Rs 74.19 crore because of the poor recovery of revenue and wasteful expenditure. The loss during the year 1977-78 was about Rs 13.09 crore. Rs 62 crore - or 4 per cent of the state's 1978-79 plan - had remained unutilised because of the tardy implementation of schemes.It is the same bureaucratic machinery which Mishra will have to rely on for the implementation of his new programmes no wonder then for the scepticism. Last fortnight, Mishra realised that drastic steps would have to be taken and therefore, heavily reshuffled the bureaucracy - the third massive shake-up in the last 10 months. However, the doubts still persist. Said economist Pradhan Hari Shankar Prasad of the A.N. Institute of Social Studies: "These are not development schemes. They show the bankruptcy of thought and economic mismanagement. If anything, they will be inflationary in nature without solving the problem of poverty." Mishra has a tough struggle ahead in trying to disprove this.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Feb 25, 2014 10:24 IST--- ENDS ---

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Bihar CM Jagannath Mishra plans new programmes in the state, accused of playing politics

Promises made by politicians are, more often than not, to be taken with a pinch of salt.

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