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| Accountability is an elusive concept | | | Mahadeep Singh Jamwal
Ahead of scribbling trifling
boundary on the subject, let us at no time draw a blank that government is our own selves and not an unusual endowment over us. The lattermost rulers of our democracy are not Prime Minister/Chief Ministers, Ministers, Parliamentarians/Legislatures and government officials, but the balloters of this country. It is the prime answerability of the Government in protecting, as far as possible, every member of the society from injustice or oppression. The important role to be played by the government is to promote sustainable development and to create critical components of an environment conducive to growth. It is the government's responsibility to provide elemental conveniences. The most indispensable obligation of government is to safeguard the lives of its own citizens. The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only laid down substance of good government. Any government that fails to do so is a government unworthy to lead.
It is not a denying fact that hundreds of very lucrative schemes are thronged into the public domain by governments and many of them are game changer and to uplift the living standards of the common man that may be the field of poverty, education, social uplift, health care services, employment, and basic needs of the common man i.e. 'Roti, Kapda, Makkan'. The Government tailors the schemes but its implementation is the prerogative of the bureaucracy and concerned departments. I am in receipt of a shabby picture in the form of a story how the orders from the top slot become mockery at the hands of the down below implementing authorities with regard to the various schemes handed down for commonality.
In a great country the residential house of the head of the state was beside the highway. The window of the bedroom of the 'Head of State' was facing towards the roadside on which thousands of general public used to traverse every day. By overlooking from the window, he used to realize the problems being faced by the travelers. One day while looking through the window, he observed there was great cold outside and snowing and a white sheet of snow was spread all over. In the given situation he noticed a person sitting on a bench shivering with cold and looking like bale. He called his PA to enquire about the person and to find out his exigencies. After two hours the PA reported that the person is a beggar and he requires only a blanket immediately. The 'Head of State' ordered his PA to immediately provide a blanket to the beggar.
Next day while looking through his bed room window he found the same beggar there but without blanket. He called his PA and enquired why the blanket has not been provided yet to the beggar in spite of his clear orders? PA apprised that the orders of the head of the state have been passed on to the Home Secretary. He will enquire from Home Secretary why the orders have not been complied. The Home Secretary was summoned to explain the reasons there of. After sometime the Home Secretary appeared before the 'Head of State' and explained "Sir, there are thousands of beggars in this city and if blanket is provided to one beggar then every beggar of the city and even of the country have to be given one blanket. Failing which opposition, common man, and media will blame us for discrimination with beggars". The 'Head of State' got annoyed and asked what should be done so that this needy beggar will get a blanket? Home Secretary suggested "Sir, every beggar is a needy person. Let us start a scheme with your name as 'Kambal Udao - Bikhari Bachao'. Under the scheme blankets will be distributed to all and one beggar of the country". The 'Head of State' was happy to hear of the scheme and approved it with directions to be implemented by tomorrow positively. Next day he noticed the same beggar shivering with cold sitting on the bench but without blanket.
He became irate and called the Home Secretary to known why his orders have not been complied with? The Home Secretary confidently replied 'Sir counting of beggars is going on so that equal number of blankets could be purchased so as to avoid pilferage'. The 'Head of State' gnashed his teeth and with strong worded directed to provide blankets by the night positively. After two days he peeked out of his window and found the beggar as it is. Furiously he called Home Secretary and came down heavily on him for not providing blanket to the beggar. But Home Secretary very politely replied "Sir to avoid 'Audit Objection' short term quotations have been invited. By today the Blankets will be purchased and will be distributed to the beggars by this night itself". The 'Head of State' warned Home Secretary of dire consequences if the blankets do not reach the bench beggar by tonight. Next day, the 'Head of State' peeped out through window and observed gathering of people around the bench where the beggar was continuously sitting in severe cold. To find out the reason of gathering around the bench he directed his PA to enquire into. After a brief period the PA reported that the beggar has died, deprived of blanket, due to severe cold. The 'Head of State' became furious and called Home Secretary to explain the matter. The Home Secretary shamelessly replied "Sir the purchasing formalities were completed and without wastage of time we distributed the blankets also but because of short fall of blankets, every beggar could not be provided with it.
The furious 'Head of State' asked the explanation of the Home Secretary. Very cunningly and politely he replied 'Sir as per laid down procedure and guide lines issued by the government on implementation of welfare schemes, we issued blankets to beggars belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe category at the priority followed by beggars from OBC category and so on. By the time the turn of this beggar sitting on bench in front of your house came there was short fall of blankets. The 'Head of State' screamed why this most needed beggar was not provided the blanket on priority? Very painful reply came 'Sir Beggar was from higher caste and he did not fall under any reserved category. That is why he was not given blanket at the priority to maintain the sanctity of the procedure and guidelines on the welfare schemes and when his turn came blankets fall short". This is exactly what happens with regard to implementation of welfare schemes for the common man and the procedure and guidelines to implement such schemes, where Government claims that in Indian democracy we have equal rights and for everyone.
The head of Government required effectuating his executive power only through responsible ministers. They must never attempt to set up a "shadow" government of executives or advisors and attempt to use them as instruments of government, or to rely upon their "unofficial" advice.
The Government officials under the color of their executive power are bound to implement the policies counseled and advisement of their responsible ministers and tailored by the representatives of the people. But the implementation of the schemes is the real cause of the concern and during this chain link these schemes met their own death due to the callousness of the implementing authorities. These authorities are the trouble shooters because they have the power of the chair they are occupying.
The stereotypical command-and-control is in full force in bureaucratic accountability. We find there is no accountability at the top of the bureaucratic set up and it unfolds across varying levels to affect governmental decisions. Accountability is an elusive concept, but understanding where it originates can help citizens find ways to hold someone in the bureaucracy accountable. In the narrowest sense, accountability is equated with answerability; it refers to the obligation to give an account of one's action. |
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