Slipping through the fingers

The ninth edition of the state level Pineapple cum Youth Festival was inaugurated with much fanfare and the usual declarations of ambitious projections and plans. Going by the enthusiastic response of the public and the tall claims of the state departments, the production, processing and marketing of these products should have been improved by leaps and bounds. The case applies not only to Pineapple, but for all other products like Sirarkhong Chilly, Kachai Lemon, Orange, Watermelon etc. The bitter truth, however is a far cry from the trumpeted declarations and coloured projections. In a strife- torn State like Manipur where every basic facility is found wanting- either due to lack of infrastructure or efficient implementation of available resources, the news of the inability to utilize even 10 percent of the annual plan budget till now comes as a rather ironic and unsavoury information for the much suffered people of the State, despite the abundance of resources and potentials that has been going waste for want of a proper system of utilization or processing opportunities. The inexplicable excuses of unfavourable climatic conditions in implementation of the works does not find any buyers, nor will the argument of disruptions and disturbances by unruly elements in the implementations of various development works and plans elicit any sympathy. The bottomline is that the departments and the officials running these departments which are entrusted with drawing up plans for development of the State are clueless about the task at hand. Their area of expertise has been shifted from forming progressive plans and suggestions to effective negotiations for their cuts from the amount sanctioned to the farmers, cultivators, contractors and builders through their departments. Problem of non-release of funds and payments after completion of works till their respective percentages have been allocated further leads to the deterioration in the efficient work culture and has gone down to such an extent at present that whatever development works or schemes are being carried out will not withstand any test of quality. It would be a huge relief and a cause for congratulation if the Government could come out with a plausible explanation as to the cause for such an acute difficulty for the departments in coming up with any development plans in a state which is lagging behind in every sphere of development. Has the ruling party become so self-assured about their political dominance in the State and the country that public welfare and efficient governance has been given a miss, development and progressive works taken for granted and the aspirations of the people relegated to insignificance? Is there such an acute lack of honest and capable officers who can tackle the problems in our society that they could not take full use of the resources made available to them, in spite of the challenges everyone of us are trying to overcome on a daily basis, be it a minister or a moron? To a common man who is hoping against hope for a glimpse of real and sustainable development in the society, the whole issue stinks of inefficiency, pathetic work culture and a culmination of the bidding system of recruiting employees rather than a systematic and tested form of selecting the deserving ones.