President bats for good governance, innovation
President outlined a paradigm shift in governance, to be effected through one, an ongoing, independent evaluation and public reporting of progress in implementing government schemes.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil quoted Rabindranath Tagore to signal her government���s departure from the beaten track on many fronts. The most striking example of this determination to not be stuck in the ���dreary desert sand of dead habit��� has been in governance reform.
The concept itself is new, and deserves all praise in this country that the World Bank routinely ranks at the bottom in the league table of nations when it comes to ease of doing business, thanks to rotten governance.
The President outlined a paradigm shift in governance, to be effected through one, an ongoing, independent evaluation and public reporting of progress in implementing government schemes; two, big strides in e-governance; three, decentralisation and empowerment of panchayats and non-government organisations to implement and monitor government schemes; four, breaking barriers between departments and schemes to achieve synergy, integration and better utilisation of existing resources; five, innovative regulation of health, education and provision of public services; six, liberal use of technology in welfare transfers and achieving public awareness; and, seven, institutionalisation of the government���s basic commitments by requiring all Cabinet notes to specify how their proposals would enhance the goals of equity or inclusion, innovation and public accountability.
A key vision is to strengthen the existing right to information into ���duty to publish��� on the part of the government. Except for matters of strategic importance, the rest of government decision making should be made available in the public domain, without anyone specifically asking for it, so that members of the public can act on the information and hold the government accountable.
Significant e-governance expansion is envisaged: Bharat Nirman common service kiosks would deliver a variety of government services in villages and make information available to the public. Scholarships and welfare transfers would be made initially to post office accounts and eventually to smart cards. NGOs would be funded through a portal, in the most transparent fashion, to help implement key schemes.
Big stress is laid on institutionalising accountability. A model Public Services Law would be legislated, in consultation with the states, to hold functionaries in health, education and rural development accountable. District level monitoring committees and ombudsmen to attend to grievance redressal that would strengthen flagship schemes like employment guarantee.
The concept itself is new, and deserves all praise in this country that the World Bank routinely ranks at the bottom in the league table of nations when it comes to ease of doing business, thanks to rotten governance.
The President outlined a paradigm shift in governance, to be effected through one, an ongoing, independent evaluation and public reporting of progress in implementing government schemes; two, big strides in e-governance; three, decentralisation and empowerment of panchayats and non-government organisations to implement and monitor government schemes; four, breaking barriers between departments and schemes to achieve synergy, integration and better utilisation of existing resources; five, innovative regulation of health, education and provision of public services; six, liberal use of technology in welfare transfers and achieving public awareness; and, seven, institutionalisation of the government���s basic commitments by requiring all Cabinet notes to specify how their proposals would enhance the goals of equity or inclusion, innovation and public accountability.
A key vision is to strengthen the existing right to information into ���duty to publish��� on the part of the government. Except for matters of strategic importance, the rest of government decision making should be made available in the public domain, without anyone specifically asking for it, so that members of the public can act on the information and hold the government accountable.
Significant e-governance expansion is envisaged: Bharat Nirman common service kiosks would deliver a variety of government services in villages and make information available to the public. Scholarships and welfare transfers would be made initially to post office accounts and eventually to smart cards. NGOs would be funded through a portal, in the most transparent fashion, to help implement key schemes.
Big stress is laid on institutionalising accountability. A model Public Services Law would be legislated, in consultation with the states, to hold functionaries in health, education and rural development accountable. District level monitoring committees and ombudsmen to attend to grievance redressal that would strengthen flagship schemes like employment guarantee.
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The Planning Commission would catalyse an independent evaluation agency that would rope in the country���s leading social science research institutes to monitor and perform social audits of the flagship schemes. Quarterly reports would be made public on key schemes and the government would submit to the people five annual reports on education, employment, health, environment and infrastructure. The Prime Minister���s Office would have its own delivery monitoring unit.
The address draws upon some of the innovations thrown up by the scheme of decentralised planning thought up by the Left Democratic Front in Kerala in the mid-90s. A voluntary corps of professionals would be drafted in to help implement urban renewal schemes. Beneficiaries of welfare and rural development schemes would be identified in gram sabhas, and their lists would be open to public scrutiny and challenge.
There is considerable emphasis on making use of existing infrastructure and expertise. Banks and post offices would be used to make rural employment scheme payments, extend financial inclusion and transfer welfare payments. NREGA schemes would be dovetailed with other rural asset creation schemes to improve their tangible yield.
Existing Backward Region Grant funds would be utilised to train Panchayat functionaries in decentralised planning and monitoring. Nutrition schemes would be placed under Panchayats. The move to modify the existing National Literacy Mission to eradicate women���s illiteracy over the next five years follows the same philosophy.
The address draws upon some of the innovations thrown up by the scheme of decentralised planning thought up by the Left Democratic Front in Kerala in the mid-90s. A voluntary corps of professionals would be drafted in to help implement urban renewal schemes. Beneficiaries of welfare and rural development schemes would be identified in gram sabhas, and their lists would be open to public scrutiny and challenge.
There is considerable emphasis on making use of existing infrastructure and expertise. Banks and post offices would be used to make rural employment scheme payments, extend financial inclusion and transfer welfare payments. NREGA schemes would be dovetailed with other rural asset creation schemes to improve their tangible yield.
Existing Backward Region Grant funds would be utilised to train Panchayat functionaries in decentralised planning and monitoring. Nutrition schemes would be placed under Panchayats. The move to modify the existing National Literacy Mission to eradicate women���s illiteracy over the next five years follows the same philosophy.
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