The Hindu : Crucial year ahead for Sheila Govt.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 10, 2002

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Crucial year ahead for Sheila Govt.

By Sujay Mehdudia

NEW DELHI NOV. 9. With the Sheila Dikshit Government all set to enter its fourth year in office in the next few days, the most urgent task on its hands is to carry out an evaluation of the performance of the various ministers, departments and bureaucracy. In fact, there is a need to overhaul the entire set-up and brace it up to meet the challenges in an election year.

Political observers here are of the view that although the "feel good factor'' continues to be with the Dikshit Government, things could change dramatically in this crucial year and upset the applecart of the Congress party. Already the Congress Government and the party in Delhi are pulling in different directions and all-out efforts are being made from within the party to destabilise a completely stable Government by using various intimidatory methods including the party forum. Interestingly, while no effort is being made to highlight the achievements of the Government, everything possible is being done to take pot shots at the State Government.

Unfortunately, the role of the AICC general secretary, Kamal Nath, and a bunch of disgruntled Delhi leaders has not been positive in propagating the cause of their own Government. But many in the Government and party feel that the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and her Ministerial colleagues not only need to counter this new onslaught but also set their house in order to take on the BJP. The present scenario certainly favours the Congress party but any complacency could just derail the whole process and work to the disadvantage of the Government.

Apart from taking an appraisal of the performance of her Ministerial colleagues, a demand being made by a number of party MLAs, the Chief Minister, it is felt, should not hesitate to effect a change in portfolios of the Ministers if their performance is not found satisfactory. In fact, the Chief Minister would have to inculcate among her Ministers the need to have more interaction with the people and party cadres and shed the image of not being accessible. It is no secret that some of the Ministers are hardly available during office hours and at times rarely turn up at the Secretariat. This tendency has to be checked and the focus should shift from holding meetings to interaction with the electorate.

At the same time, observers feel that the time has come for the Chief Minister to effect a bureaucratic reshuffle which is long overdue. Although the Congress Government is handicapped with the lack of availability of good officers, it has to get the best out of the present lot. In fact, this exercise, officials feel, should not be a difficult task as Ms. Dikshit has a very fine Chief Secretary in Shailja Chandra and both enjoy good rapport. "It is time to shift out inefficient officials holding important positions to less relevant posts. There is no fun in protecting callous people. The Government should not hesitate in removing ineffective people,'' remarked a senior Minister.

The Government has to certainly put things in order as far as the financial scenario is concerned. Any sharp decline in the revenue collections is bound to have an adverse impact on the functioning of the Government. "There are a number of good officers who are not being utilised to their full potential. This discrepancy should be removed as governance has to be given top priority rather than personalities. Good officers need to be posted in important positions to consolidate on the gains accrued during the past almost four years,'' a senior bureaucrat stated.

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