Governance is often judged by two fundamental responsibilities of the State: protecting lives and delivering public services. In Manipur today, both appear to be under severe strain. While the collapse of law and order has dominated headlines over the past three years, another, less discussed but equally troubling crisis is unfolding in plain sight—the steady erosion of governance in urban infrastructure.
The signs are impossible to ignore.
Across Imphal, expensive public assets built with taxpayers’ money remain locked, unused or non-functional. The mechanized rotary parking facility at Nagamapal, conceived under the Smart City Mission to address chronic traffic congestion, stands idle. The elevators installed at pedestrian footbridges to assist senior citizens, persons with disabilities and others with mobility challenges remain silent. Together, they represent more than unfinished projects; they reflect a governance deficit that extends beyond security and into the everyday lives of ordinary citizens.
Infrastructure is not measured by the amount of concrete poured or steel erected. It is measured by functionality. A hospital without doctors, a school without teachers, a bridge without access or a parking system that parks no vehicles cannot be considered successful public investments. Likewise, elevators that never operate are not symbols of accessibility but reminders of administrative failure.
Governments often celebrate project approvals, foundation stones and inauguration ceremonies. These events attract publicity and project an image of development. But governance does not end when the ribbon is cut. It begins when citizens start using the infrastructure. Operation, maintenance, staffing, budgeting and accountability are not secondary matters—they are the very essence of public administration.
The Smart City Mission sought to transform Indian cities through technology-driven urban development. The objective was not merely to construct infrastructure but to improve the quality of urban life. If projects remain locked after completion, the mission’s objectives remain equally locked.
The mechanized parking facility at Nagamapal illustrates this disconnect. Built to reduce roadside parking and ease congestion in one of Imphal’s busiest commercial areas, it has yet to accommodate a single vehicle. Meanwhile, motorists continue to occupy public roads, traffic congestion remains unchanged and pedestrians continue to navigate crowded streets. The problem the project was intended to solve persists because the solution itself has never become operational.
The same contradiction is visible in the elevators installed at pedestrian footbridges. They were designed to promote inclusive urban mobility by enabling elderly citizens, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and patients to cross busy roads safely. Yet, with the elevators remaining non-functional, those who need them most continue to climb staircases or avoid the footbridges altogether. Accessibility exists on paper but not in practice.
These examples expose a broader weakness in governance. Public agencies often demonstrate efficiency during the construction phase but appear to lose momentum once projects are completed. Questions regarding ownership, maintenance responsibilities, operational budgets and technical support emerge only after the infrastructure has been built. By then, citizens are left with impressive-looking structures that deliver little or no public service.
This is not merely an administrative lapse; it is a question of accountability. Every rupee spent on public infrastructure comes from taxpayers. Citizens therefore have every right to know who is responsible for operating completed facilities, why they remain unused and when they will finally become functional. Silence cannot substitute for accountability.
The situation also reflects a worrying governance culture in which success is measured by expenditure rather than outcomes. Governments frequently announce the cost of projects, but rarely report whether those projects continue to function years after completion. Public infrastructure should be evaluated by service delivery, not by the value of contracts awarded or the number of inauguration plaques installed.
Manipur’s governance challenges today cannot be viewed solely through the prism of law and order. Governance also means ensuring that roads are maintained, hospitals function, schools educate, public utilities operate and infrastructure serves the people. When these basic responsibilities weaken, the crisis of governance extends far beyond security.
The true test of any government is not the number of projects it inaugurates, but the number that continue serving citizens long after the cameras have left. Until operational accountability becomes as important as construction itself, locked parking systems and silent elevators will remain enduring symbols of a governance model that celebrates completion but neglects delivery.
Development is not achieved when infrastructure is built. Development is achieved when infrastructure works.
