Promises made in UPA's 100-day agenda yet to be met

If the government had not set a 100 days��� agenda for itself, its performance over this period would have looked more impressive than it does when checked off against a list of promises. Quite a bit has been achieved already in the ministries of finance, education and home. But quite a few of the promises remain to be met.

The direct tax code, which seeks to modernise and rationalise direct taxes, has been put up for debate.
Disinvestment has been kicked off, in a non-confrontationist fashion. The government continues to sustain the fiscal stimulus the economy needs right now. The Centre is trying to switch over to a goods and services tax (GST).

Internal security has been strengthened on an institutional basis, with better equipment and more personnel being given to the police forces. Coordination among intelligence agencies, computerisation of border check posts, regional hubs for the National Security Guards have been created.

Education has been the sector where action has been most prominent, and received public accolades. But there has been progress on other fronts too. The Free Trade Agreement with Asean has finally been signed, India is playing an active role in mobilising opinion to conclude the protracted Doha round of World Trade talks.

The government has kicked off its plan to ramp up highway construction in the country, but it is yet to reach the target set for the first 100-days. The road transport and highways minister Kamal Nath has taken a slew of measures including relaxation in bidding norm to attract private investment in the sector. Road construction, however, still remains stuck at 5-6 kms a day.

The ministry has proposed to build 7,000 kms of road every year. It estimates an investment requirement of around $70 billion in the next 3-4 years in the sector with nearly half of that coming from private players.
On the health front, the emergency posed by the swine flu menace has consumed the government���s attention, to the exclusion of much else.

The UPA government���s judicial reforms agenda revolves round four major areas ; making judges more accountable, declaration of assets by the judges, reduction of pendency of over 3 crore of cases in various courts in the country and delivery of justice at the grass roots level. Setting up of corporate benches in the higher judiciary is on the top of the government���s agenda to expedite the resolution of the disputes between companies and industrial houses.

Judges (Inquiry) Bill, to make higher judiciary more accountable and transparent, will be introduced in the coming winter session of parliament, according to the government. It will replace the existing Judges Inquiry Act, 1968 which deals with the impeachment of the judges but not with other cases of complaints against them. Judges (Declaration of Assets and Liabilities) Bill, 2009 will be presented in winter session of parliament with certain amendments. The government had to withdraw the bill in face of stifff opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

The move to create unique identification numbers for all citizens, roping in the services of a top-notch professional from the private sector, is a wholly welcome move. This has the potential to transform the way government subsidies are distributed, apart from improving national security.

On land acquisition and rehabilitation and compensation of oustees, the government still remains at sea, thanks to political expedience. This will prove costly. The World Bank���s survey on ease of doing business damns India as virtually the worst performer behind Pakistan and Afghanistan in South Asia. Real reform would tackle these kind of hindrances to social progress.

Inclusive growth remains the goal being pursued by the government. Unfortunately, the politics that needs to inform every measure being implemented by different ministries and departments to give their actions coherence and meaning is still missing.