People's Democracy

  Chandrababu’s Good Governance Project

Neither Good Nor Governance

K Veeraiah

WHAT chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu is implementing in the name of good governance is neither good nor governance. These are only the attempts to build up an image to the TDP Supremo’s rule. These are the comments made by none other than the organisation, DFID, which is funding the good governance project in the State Overseas Development Institute (SODI) a partner organisation of DFID. SODI has surveyed the policy process, and its politics in Andhra Pradesh. Let us go into details.

Andhra Pradesh (AP) is the front running state in the liberalisation reforms. Not like others, AP underwent a comprehensive set of reforms, which includes administrative` reforms apart from economic reforms. To observe the ongoing reform process, Department for International Development, established a centre for good governance at Hyderabad with organisational and financial assistance. As a part of implementing administrative reforms AP state government unleashed a new project called SMART governance, which meant simplicity, morality, accountability, responsibility and transparency in governance. However, in practice while implementing Smart governance the government of AP has introduced electronic governance in the departments relating to day-to-day life of public. Basically it simplified the payment of bills like electricity bills, telephone bills and other revenue services at the expense of employees. All this is part of downsizing the government staff by declaring them as surplus. One of the mottos of Chandrababu is decentralising the decision taking process and removing the bottlenecks in the administration while delivering the services to the poor. The survey organised by ODI for DFID analysed all these in relation to the policy process, which is in implementation in the third world countries. Even though Chandrababu introduced so many innovative schemes in different departments, DFID found that the public mood considered these only as an attempt to justify its rule and reforms with no intention of doing good for the public.

DFID recognised that whole policy process under the deemed dynamic leader of Indian polity revolves around three basic pillars. These are media hype about the growth of the state, concealing rather than revealing the ground realities and centralisation of decision making process and implementation. A scathing remark is that the so-called welfare programmes identified by Chandrababu are being implemented in order to strengthen the party than for the upliftment of poor. One of the aspects of reforms as proclaimed in the much touted vision 2020 is, delimiting of policy process commonly known as decision making process from politics and politically influencing factors. But on the ground whole decision-making process is being centralised and hijacked by Naidu and his handful of teammates, is felt by the researcher Jos Morjito. To see where this process leads to, DFID felt that we have to wait some time.

POOR IMPLEMENTATION OF SCHEMES

The government of AP issued a white paper on Administration and Governance as part of its ongoing Programme Vision 2020. Prior to that state government appointed a task force in order to indigenise the World Bank scheme of things. While implementing the recommendations of the World Bank came into light recommendations of the taskforce appointed by the state government. It introduced e-seva centre or simplified form of electronic governance, computerisation of registration department all over the state, right to information etc while appreciating the bold steps relating to tariff hike in power sector, installation of meters to the pump set users. DFID found that AP government did not stop the populist schemes. Though to assess the government performance Naidu adopted information technology parameters to every official, he failed to implement the political checks and balance method, which ultimately led to the defective implementation of various government policies. This lapse on the part of government is reflected in the implementation of government decision felt Jos Morjito. Janmabhoomi is against the spirit of decentralisation.

People’s participation is the buzzword of Chandrababu Naidu through which he gave an impression to the laymen that he is implementing the 73rd amendment to the constitution of India. DFID from its field surveys found that while showing extra interest the government of AP completely neglected the devolution of power to local bodies mandated by 73rd constitutional amendment. On this aspect a number of studies are there with which we will be dealing later. The Naidu government provided enormous resources for staff deployment while the local bodies are facing severe financial crunch. World Bank report on decentralisation has revealed that the Naidu government has weakened the constitutionally elected bodies through patronising the parallel institutions. At the panchayat level, Janmabhoomi has become a money source for Telugu Desam party machinery. Rampant political intervention in implementation has led to corruption, inefficiency and misuse of funds and power.

IMAGE BUILDING IS THE SOLE OBJECTIVE

In the white paper released by the state government it is mentioned that one of the tasks of good governance is to bring the corruption free government to the people. Contrary to this, DFID found that Chandrababu’s centralisation of decision-making process, policies and schemes is essentially an instrument to strengthen the grassroots of the party. There was a conscious attempt to project Chandrababu Naidu as a natural heir of late NTR. This has to be seen in the background that in 1994 TDP captured power basically because of two reasons --- one of them is the misdeeds of the then congress government and the other reason is NTR’s charisma. After one year Chandrababu dethroned NTR in a family crisis and captured power in 1995. There was a negative opinion about Chandrababu at that time in people’s mind. To remove this and also to project him as a natural leader of TDP he embarked on the image building exercise. As a part of this exercise he spent crores of rupees on publicity and brought modern management methods into polity. As popularly known a computer savvy CM, he brings a Laptop computer and power point presentation wherever he goes. Using information technology he attempts to guide and direct the administration as well as party through Tele conference and video conference. And also there are effective media managers in CM’s office who release accolades from various international institutions, and news organisations. They ensure the publication of CM’s photograph along the heads of various nations. The Chandrababu government has been projecting high tech city which has been built in Naidu’s regime as a symbol of the state than the age old historical char miner. This is only an example of his kind of propaganda.

CONCEALING RATHER THAN REVEALING

Another aspect of Naidu’s governance is the art of concealing rather than revealing the facts. The CM has put in place an arrangement which creates much hype about success of Naidu’s governance while concealing the major setbacks and negative aspect of the state, as if the whole thing under Naidu’s rule is nothing less than development. For this Naidu whenever comes across the cities he uses a phrase “change your mindset.” Particularly this comment is true with regard to the fiscal situation in the state. As a case study DFID, selected implementation of health schemes in the state and, found that Naidu is against the principle of devolution of responsibilities. DFID observed that this attitude of Naidu also indicates how it would be about decentralisation of power to the local bodies. It did not pay much attention to the propaganda that people of the state are participating overwhelmingly in his innovative methods of reforming implementation such as water users associations Janmbhoomi. A scathing comment on Naidu’s works culture is that he is unbearable to any suggestion that comes from below or others. In fact he loses patience to hear the dissenting voices. DFID has found that Naidu is known as a reforms CM. He functions autocratically and does not lend an ear to what others are saying though it may be about the long-term benefits of the state. They observed the long held strike in 2001 of RTC employees.

Though the employees demanded the sustenance of the APSRTC he did not pay heed. This is the mode of governance of Chandrababu under the guise of good governance. The good governance methods adopted by Naidu thus end in neither good nor governance.