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| Vohra needs to emulate Jagmohan's style of running administration | | | Gareeb Dass
Jammu | July 10
Four women school teachers were not being given permission to go out of Jammu and Kashmir for higher studies.Their three-year struggle for it had borne no fruit.Soon after Jagmohan assumed all the powers of the Government under the Governor's rule,which was imposed in early 1986,these four teachers approached him.Getting satisfied with the plea of the four teachers Jagmohan summoned the Director School Education and confirmed what the teachers had told the Governor.After getting satisfied Jagmohan issued a crisp order directing the Director Education and the secretary Education to grant permission to the four teachers to go in for higher sudies within 24 hours.When the order reached the secretariat a bespectacled Pandit official informed the office superintendent that for issuance of the order approval of the finance Department was required.The superintendent told the clerk that Jagmohan's order carried approval from all departments and if the required order was not issued that very afternoon "we will be placed under suspension."
This was Jagmohan who,during his eight months rule,concentrated on development projects.He was instrumental in introducing latest machines for tarring city roads which could withstand weather ravages including heavy snow and torrential rain.He introduced mechanised deweeding system in the Dal lake for tackling pollution.He was the first constitutional head to get walkways on the banks of river Lidder in Pahalgam,Tawi and Ranbir canal in Jammu built.Whatever stretches of these walkways were built during his rule were not extended for another 20 to 30 years.He carried out a miracle.He succeeded in upgrading the drinking water supply in a thickly populated vicinity of Zaindar Mohalla in Srinagar where people had never dreamt of seeing the water taps installed in the second or third storeys of their houses dripping with water.His measures delighted people with water gushing out of the taps in the upper storeys of their residences.He was instrumental in implementing series of major and minor development projects including the raising of the city forest on the banks of the Dal Lake.
Those who worked with him remember that he would keep a note of each project he had sanctioned and set a date for its completion.Before a day or two he would enquire from the concerned officers about the progress of the project.Any slight delay would invite trouble for the officers.I am penning these instances to convey to N.N.Vohra that if he is able to emulate the style of functioning of Jagmohan he too would be remembered as a builder in Jammu and Kashmir.Mere presiding over seminars,conferences,academic activities may not help Vohra to carve out a place in the minds of people in the state.Already Azad has set the pace for the completion of various development projects.It is for Vohra to ensure that these unfinished works were completed within the schedule.His capability as a seasoned bureaucrat and administrator would be tested if he is able to bail out people in the Jammu region from the power crisis.The Government headed by Ghulam Nabi Azad had announced that the problem would be resolved within three months.It is for Vohra to perform a Jagmohan type miracle by taking up the issue with Prime Minister and the Union Power Minister so that some immediate alternative was found and the transformers were installed on a war footing in Gladini grid station.If he succeeds in this sector he would be able to reduce the level of anger of Jammuites that they nourish over Vohra's communication to Ghulam Nabi Azad that the Amarnath Shrine Board no longer required land at Baltal and Domel.
. Even if he had to rule the state for less than five months,if the central rule was not imposed after the expiry of the Governor's rule,Vohra needs to keep the doors of his room in the civil secretariat and the Raj Bhawan open to people.Let him hold regular Durbar where he would be able to listen to peoples'problems.He needs to travel about and take on the spot decisions.Like Jagmohan,who had kept officers on the tenterhooks.Whenever he visited rural areas no Wazwaan was served.Jagmohan would carry simple working lunch with him and the officers had to remain content with a few pieces of bread and tea.Let Vohra be mobile and assume a people friendly face.He is not longer a stiffnecked bureacucrat but both a constitutional and executive head of the state. |
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