Netizens get big role, to keep tabs on Narendra Modi government

NEW DELHI: If any doubt remained that PM Narendra Modi’s governance style would be different from what India has witnessed so far, here’s another bit of evidence. An 87,000-strong online community, spearheaded by the BJP Communication Cell, will keep a second pair of eyes on governance to ensure implementation of all the promises made in party manifesto.

The aim to “Transform India with Narendra Modi” is not only to act as a pressure group on the government by not just tracking various schemes and their implementation, but also enabling citizens to exchange views and give constructive inputs.

Rajendra Pratap Gupta, who is coordinating the citizens’ circle initiative, told ET, “Now that BJP under Modi’s leadership has won with such a thumping majority, its responsibility has increased even more.”

He said the group will monitor the performance of all ministries to ensure they fulfill the promises made in the manifesto. The first-of-its-kind exercise will engage citizens with the government in implementing “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” motto of the party. Gupta was also involved in drafting the manifesto under the chairmanship of Murli Manohar Joshi. “It is time to fulfill the promises now,” he said.

In the past two weeks alone, the community has been joined by 87,000 Indians from across the country and abroad. People from diverse backgrounds like business, employed professionals, farmers, social activists, bureaucrats, students, home makers, academicians and senior citizens have already sent in their ideas and suggestions. Based on that, the first list of priorities – both immediate and long term – has been forwarded to Modi and his team.

The immediate priorities include curbing inflation, fast track clearance of criminal and civil cases, fast track clearance of pending infrastructure projects to create jobs, setting up National Corruption Report Line and a related task force, repatriation of illegal funds stashed abroad, raising the income tax exemption limits, enhanced e-governance by creating a response centre for all government websites, customer service training for all agencies having a citizen interface like the police, and performance management system for government staff.