Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has recently said that he would not seek votes in the 2015 Assembly elections if he failed to improve power situation in the state. In the backdrop of what is happening in our State, we doubt whether the Chief Minister or our Power Minister can be bold enough to make such a statement. But obviously you need more than just courage to make such statements. Mr Nitish Kumar can speak the way he did because he has a vision—a working plan to ensure that power situation in Bihar improves. The Bihar CM has a comprehensive plan for the purpose of improvement in all levels of transmission, distribution and production of electricity. Bihar is also looking forward to the expansion programme of one of its Thermal Power Plant to be completed by 2014. Our Chief Minister cannot make such a statement or the Power Department cannot give such assurances because we have nothing to look forward to as far as improving the power scenario in the State goes. The only thing that the government is looking forward to is to have the 100 MVA power transformer ready and installed for Dimapur by the year end or in early 2013. Off course to give the benefit of doubt to our government, it did make a mention during the Independence Day address that the State will “soon bring a comprehensive power development policy”. The question remains, how soon is too soon—before the 2013 elections or later i.e. if it returns to power?
On paper it is being publicized that the government of the day is carrying out a lot of development programmes even to the far corners of Nagaland. Yes it is true that many new development projects have been inaugurated and some even completed. Now the concern is that many of these so called assets created at huge cost have been lying in disuse without any commensurate return to the rate of funds invested. The government should perhaps think twice before venturing out into development projects. Some criteria have to be first established before signing on project on the dot. Does it fulfill public needs? To put it another way—what are the priorities that the government must work on? We need to address people’s needs not populist measures.
For instance sanctioning rural development blocks, administrative posts or constructing new office buildings across Nagaland, which will also add to administrative costs, what will be the utility of these development works if the government is not able to meet the basic requirement of electricity to run these offices or proper roads to reach these places? In the last few months, all of us are witness to the growing public grievances against failure of the government to cater to the needs of regular power supply or bare minimum road to travel on. It is a fact known by all including in the government that Nagaland is financially dependent on the Centre to meet its development objective. But are we using the funds given to us judiciously? Perhaps we need to have a deliberate plan of action towards meeting our development objectives. Why not start by improving and strengthening basic services like road, electricity, water and health. We don’t expect our Chief Minister to do a Nitish Kumar. But what the Nagaland government i.e. the Chief Minister along with the top bureaucrats and technocrats can do is to prepare a mission mode plan of the basic services mentioned. If the need arises, this should also involve reshuffling of Ministers and bureaucrats.
