The dust that was kicked up during the general election held at the beginning of the current year has finally settled and the euphoria generated by the change of guard has given way to more sobering experiences. The picture emerging now is one which is slowly yet surely starting to resemble the very system which the people of the state have shown their disdain for in no uncertain terms, even though the final result of the polls failed to reflect the depth of loathing for then ruling party who have come to symbolize the worst of cronyism, corruption and nepotism practiced with an audacity which can only be developed after three consecutive terms in power. While due credit must be given to the present Birenled BJP government in the state for going out of its way to bridge the massive communication gap deliberately initiated by the previous government for reasons best known to themselves, numerous loopholes and inexplicable anomalies that belies the promises and assurances as well as the evidently proactive efforts of the state government to undo or realign the priorities of the government have started to surface. Case in point : reports of an absentee IFoS officer being given permission by the state government for joining and posting. The attitude of the officer who reportedly visits the state only to pass and draw salary once every month for the last six-odd years points to a deeper rot that is infecting the system and the brazen display of irresponsibility which is being overlooked for reasons not known to the public. That the issue has been discussed during the state assembly session in 2016 clearly indicates the degree of seriousness, and yet despite the assurance of the then CM Ibobi of investigating into the matter, the same person who has been shirking his duty for more than six and half years have reportedly been allowed the joining and posting a few days back by the new Biren-led state government. Has the seemingly upright and decisive state government been arm-twisted and made to tread the line drawn by powerful forces at the centre? Has the state government succumbed to the insistence of its parent party from the national capital thereby relinquishing the right to govern the state according to its ideologies and experiences as well as the expressed aspirations of the public who have come to see the new government as a symbol of positive change and a force to turn their dreams into reality? Is the state bureaucracy still running the show despite claims of the state government to the contrary? Does the state government not feel the responsibility to clear the air for the public and pursue the matter to its logical conclusion so that the increasing malaise of the general public is put to rest. The very issue has come to represent the challenges that the government have blatantly overlooked and failed to address in spite of its glaring anomalies. The public still awaits the response from the government. Hope the Biren-led government can come up with a more convincing and acceptable one.
