All these reports of misappropriation of Government funds are disturbing. It leaves a stigma on the functioning of the Government. When the Telecom Ministry was dragged into series of controversies over the C Dot scam Prime Minister Dr. Manmohon Singh sent in Kapil Sibal to look after the ministry in addition to the HRD ministry he was holding. Kapil Sibal is a very capable minister he brought out no loss no gain theory and everything subsided. It seems there is no opposition leader, who can argue with Sibal on his theory. But our thinking is that he would not have been to tell the latest found theory had he not rectified the wrongs in the ministry.He has a very clear headed mind. His theory and explanations are very simple. He attempts to take common masses along when he locks in verbal duel with his rival. His observations on the functioning of constitutional bodies also left a good mark. India Government could save billions of rupees if MGNREGA and Sharvashiksha Abhiyan programmes were scrapped. The Government of India as a policy has taken up these welfare programmes for the common people. There is nothing wrong with it as long as it can carry the burden of helping the needy people. Therefore constitutional bodies like CAG cannot dictate terms on whether such programmes should continue or not. CAG can investigate how money is utilised but it cannot say on the utility of the programme. Whether the programme should continue or not should be decided by executive, which is accountable to Parliament. We want our Ministers to act and think like these great ministers sitting at the centre. What is happening here is a different story. Some of these ministers pretend ignorance when questioned about the functioning of the lower ranked staff in their respective departments. Their ignorance has emboldened these lower ranked officials to thrive on the business of looting public money. They need to be told again and again they cannot do what they are doing. Employees deliberately delay file movement unless their palm is greased. They openly demand money in the name of having tea for entering the file number in the record book. The process of file movement is also very long. Rs 500 for every table it works out Rs 5000 for getting benefit of Rs 50000. Then there is cut for other higher up. At the end the beneficiaries will get only 30000. Major chunk of the allotted fund having be cut they cannot do justice to their work. They too start looting everything without doing anything. Thus Government fund is wasted. The foot path at the Southern side of Raj Bhavan has holes for every three feet. Sand, cement and stones had caved in what remains is iron only. Why it happens? The reason will not be far to seek. The payment made on the table to fulfil employees appetite and the cut demanded from different angles compelled the contractors to do what they did. All these wrongs done on the street and also in buying items to give away to the needy people can be checked when the Ministers act in a manner in consonance with the expectation of the people. Unfortunately people too have to remain as timid spectators because they had sold away their rights on the day of election. Whatever the case may be a state cannot be run like this.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/competent-minister-is-competent-authority/
