Y Merina Chishi
Dimapur| July 16
The government’s good intention to create a platform for government- people interface with the statewide road shows appears to have lost track. Conceptualized with a purpose to ‘highlight government policies at the grass root level,’ the purpose of the road show has been defeated due to several factors. The interface hasn’t worked and the government is considering restructuring the road show.
“The government is going to recompose the road show…it has deviated from what it was intended to be,” an official source confirmed. The government has decided to do away with department stalls, the source added. Rather, it is going to involve and promote more private entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs will be selected by the government to undergo training under the ‘year of entrepreneurship.’
The government had made an ambitious plan to make the road show an annual feature of the government’s activities. It had taken the decision to involve all major departments in the road show. Other departments were also to be involved by way of organising exhibitions, sales and showcase their activities to the public. The idea was to bring about a government-people interface so that the public would gain awareness about the various departments, their activities and services available for the people. But that purpose has not been achieved.
Government sources have said that, rather than trying to understand the various government policies and schemes, the public is more interested in the food, music and cultural shows. The government stalls have not done well and the departments have not received any feedback. The government’s attempt to draw the private sector into the road show has not worked either. Apart from successfully promoting tourism, there has been no other spin-off during the road show.
The government has come under severe criticism from the Opposition and sections of public for conducting the road shows. Officials said the road show was conceptualized at the highest level. “It was framed at the top level… we weren’t involved in the process,” a top level bureaucrat said. The official also admitted that the government needs to streamline the road show as expenditure incurred during last year has been “exorbitant.” Each district receives 15 lakh from the government’s non-plan budget and an additional Rs.3 lakh from the Music Task Force. In addition to that, local MLAs also dole out huge amount for the road show. It is estimated that not less than Rs.50 lakh is utilised for one road show. This includes expenditure for the planning, beautification, presentation, equipments, food, accommodation, fuel, travel allowance, etc.
Top level government officials have said that the road show has taken its toll on the various departments, especially the district administration. The administration responsible for carrying out all arrangements for the road shows seem to have had their fill. Many officers are not keen to have another road show. The amount of resources, manpower and time consuming exercise involved during the road show has undoubtedly taken its toll.
