Gujarat: Governance and Politics
Posted : February 22, 2009 at 3:00 am [IST]
In mid-February last year, Ahmedabad experienced a bout of unseasonal rains. The next morning residents woke up to find city drains lined with an anti-mosquito powder to prevent an outbreak of malaria. The event underlines a few things. That the municipal corporation had stocks of the chemical when it was not supposed to; that somebody knew it was his duty to sprinkle the powder immediately after the rains; and, finally, that those responsible for the job did perform their duty.
This may seem like an island of bureaucratic efficiency in the state’s de facto capital (as opposed to the capital Gandhinagar) but what it really exemplifies is the administrative ground reality in a state that attracts as much attention for how efficiently it is being run as it is discredited for its chief minister Narendra Modi’s image of a communal hawk. It is administration such as this that makes Gujarat the third-most competitive state.
It is from the competitiveness survey report on Gujarat that ranked third among the states. Modi has become legendary for both bad and good reasons. But will not the responsiveness narrated above is something that must be a benchmark for other states that regularly face similar natural mishaps occasionally? How many chief minister even prepare for that, be it Mumbai in Maharashtra or Patna of Bihar? I am sure the report above is one honestly done by a journalist.
- Indra
Category: Government Policy/Administration |
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