We all agree that good governance is all about the processes of making and implementing good decisions. It’s about the best possible process of making those decisions that can be best implemented. The best cars on the road are the ones that provide the most efficient services and because it is most economic in consumption and minimum maintenance are required; the car that consumes the least to give the best possible service to meet our needs. In the context of the present state of Nagaland we have a government that consumes exorbitantly to give the least services and development to the people. To me, engineering people’s mandate to loot the state exchequer is not only mismanagement of public fund but a serious crime against the Nation and its people.
While congratulating Mr. Rio for mastering landslide victory for the NPF to form the 3rd DAN Government to power with the largest ever size of ministries with 12 Cabinet Ministers, 21 Parliamentary Secretaries, Advisors, Chairmen and so on. Is it not putting a heavy burden on the state exchequer whereby almost all the NPF, BJP and JDU legislators are well accommodated exposing the greediest political leadership in the recent time?
What is most ironical about the present arrangement is that the Parliamentary Secretaries and Chairmen or Advisors assigned with various departments are without cabinet power to accord sanctions or take decisions since the power is solely vested on the Council of Ministers. The Chief Minister is the only Minister of all the departments hold by the Parliamentary Secretaries, Chairmen or Advisors. The Chief Minister literally holds more than 40 departments.
What is interesting here is the 11 odd Cabinet Ministers holding one or more minor departments with a total 18 state departments. The Government ought to give priorities to the primary departments such as Power, Urban Development, Rural Development, Public Works departments, Transport, Agriculture, Housing, Highways etc. and attached them to the Cabinet Ministers. The primary departments which are now attached to the Parliamentary Secretaries directly fall under the Chief Minister who takes control of all the key departments, the reasons best known to him. The reason could be to generate funds at source and recover the ridiculous election expenditure or it may be an appeasement policy to hold on to his chair of power. Presently, the Chief Minister holds more than 70% of the departments and the odd 11 cabinets share a mere 30% of state departments. It can be best term as the ‘Chief Ministerial’ form of Government.
While fully acknowledging that distribution of portfolios is the prerogative of the Chief Minister, it is beyond my comprehension as to how all the Parliamentary Secretaries are attached to the Chief Minister himself and not the other Cabinet Ministers. Taking an instance, in the State of Assam, out of the total strength of 126 members house there are all together 19 members in the Council of Ministers (12 Cabinet Ministers and 7 State Ministers) and 21 Parliamentary Secretaries. The Cabinet Ministers hold almost all the primary state departments and 19 Parliamentary Secretaries are attached to the Cabinet Ministers and only 2 Parliamentary Secretaries are attached to the Chief Minister. No doubt, the Chief Minister is first amongst equals in the Council of Ministers as per the democratic norms, but over 90% of state economic power vested on the other members in the Council of Ministers.
Coming back to our home state, one can see a huge disparity in the share of economic power creating vast power imbalance where the Chief Minister holds more than 2/3rd of power and the other members of the Council of Ministers share less than 1/3rd of power. In the present context, the Chief Minister who is also first amongst the equals in the Council of Ministers holds more than 2/3rd of power in the State and all others are insignificantly represented in the state share of power.
Apparently, the state power is under siege and heading towards an autocratic and tyrannical system of governance. Democracy and egalitarian government has become Monocracy and one-pocket government where the Hon’ble elected Members are reduce to mere followers to the idol of money power. My opinion shared in this write-up should not be construed as an attack to any leadership nor political party but a food for thought in an attempt to propagate the ideals of good governance.
Theja Therieh
