JAMMU: In contrast to four months’ status-quo in Kashmir, due to unprecedented summer unrest, the government finally appears to be in a vibrant mode in this winter capital, with functionaries from Chief Minister down below moving around and trying to have a feel of governance at ground zero. Normally, one would have appreciated the Chief Minister’s city round, had it not added to the miseries of the man on street. The massive mismanaged traffic is like a nightmare for commuters and pedestrians. The situation gets worsened with the so-called VIPs, comprising ministers, bureaucrats and their high profile supporting staff, moving around, putting traffic managers in jittery. The end-receivers obviously are the commoners, who have to face the wrath of Men in Blue, whose only responsibility seems to give safe passage to VIP caravans, no matter how severe inconveniences it causes to general public. This will be a regular feature in Jammu this Darbar Move.
Jammu and Kashmir is a unique State where officers remain on toes, attending to their ministers, who lose appetite the day they don’t find their names and pictures in the newspapers. For seeking media attention, they have to undertake visits, interact with officers and leave the rest to their media managers, who burn midnight oil to ensure the coverage next morning. And, believe it or not, some of the ‘honourable’ ministers just keep blinking their eyes in disbelief on the words of wisdom they are supposed to have spoken during their ‘visits and meetings’, which are actually crafty ‘cut and paste’ tricks of their PR staff.
The zest for remaining in news costs the general public hugely? The ordeal of their visits start from leaving their homes, as the traffic cops get alert and in the madness of paving their way they keep running here and there, stopping traffic on the squares and showing fists to those who inadvertently ignore their signals. How does it matter, if a serious patient, who needs immediate medicare, gets stranded or the school-goers run against the time? This exercise is repeated on their return and only then the men in blues cool down their feet.
Honourable ministers’ visits remain incomplete unless they are accompanied by a full contingent of officers of the area they visit. This means absence of the officers and their immediate subordinate officials from their headquarters or the offices for better part of the day or at times the entire working day. The grievance seekers and those visiting the offices for their pending works are left high and dry. And, in sheer dejection they leave the offices with the hope for tomorrow, which generally ends up with the visit of some another minister.
The situation becomes awkward and tiresome when the ministers choose to visit hospitals and educational institutions as this means discomfort to patients, delays in operations and completion of syllabus. At times, the honourable ministers chose to inaugurate saloons, cosmetic shops etc, which entails full attendance of the SHO concerned and his staff, notwithstanding the security cover already available to the VIP. The enthusiasm to be around the minister leaves normal policing in disarray till the time he leaves the jurisdiction of the concerned SHO.
The only comfort or the plus point of the ministers is for the residents of the areas where they visit. At least that day they find their vicinity clean and hygienically fit with white lime markings. If anybody is not aware about the whereabouts of a particular minister, he can get clue from the ‘neat and clean’ areas.
Given this grim scenario, it is high time for the Chief Minister to work out a code of conduct for her ministers and the bureaucracy. There is need for emphasizing the ministers that they have far bigger roles to play in the arena of governance and in policy formulations than to roam around streets. They should be made aware that their photographs or words of wisdom in the newspapers only interest them and their families, not the people at large.
The Chief Minister should get off some time from the busy schedule and issue do’s and don’ts to her ministerial colleagues. Also advisories should go to officers for not moving along ministers as it impacts the grievances redressal mechanism in their offices, thronged by people from far-off areas. Absence of officers from their offices is akin to ‘when cat is away, mouse will play’. The Chief Minister is on record having said that the administration will go to the door-steps of the people for redressing their grievances.
Everyone, including the Chief Minister herself knows that this is a far cry. Better would be if the administration remains at their designated places so that the people can at least walk up to them for seeking redressal of grievances.