The Left Democratic Front government has been in office for six months, which is 10 percent of its five-year tenure. The manner in which voters from all regions of the State supported the LDF in the May elections was an indication of the people’s deep frustration with the previous government and expectations of decent governance from the new ruling dispensation. Perhaps the most significant contribution of the new government has been the introduction of decorum into administration. The last days of the Congress-led United Democratic Front government were remarkable for the total lack of propriety and transparency in functioning. The UDF government faced serious allegations not only of corruption and malpractices, but also of personal misconduct by persons in high places. Citizens are entitled to good governance as a matter of right; when it is denied, they are often helpless until elections. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has declared a total war on corruption. One hopes this declaration will be enforced throughout his tenure.
There are investigations into allegations of corruption against several ministers in the Oommen Chandy cabinet; these have to be taken to their logical conclusion by effectively prosecuting the guilty. The delivery of public services reflects the quality of governance. The CPM has tried to be disciplined as a political party, but when in government, they never sought to enforce discipline in government offices. In a welcome change, Mr Vijayan has reiterated the need for prompt disposal of business at cutting-edge levels, as also the need for discipline in government offices. The government has spelt out its vision and missions clearly, and delineated an action plan to achieve declared objectives within its current tenure. The plan is ambitious and comprehensive, targeting total housing, better healthcare and quality education apart from a Green Kerala Mission for total sanitation, waste management, agricultural development and water resources conservation.
The success of these schemes depends on mobilising resources and public participation and effective implementation. The government also gives due importance to the development of infrastructure, a sector which has received inadequate attention in the past. Mr Vijayan has been his usual self, focussed, confident and matter-of-fact. His mettle was seen on several occasions, whether it was the swift action in the E P Jayarajan issue, or the prompt moderation of SC/ST Welfare Minister A K Balan’s statement in the Assembly. Of the CPM ministers, three have previous experience as Ministers and that has helped them to settle down quickly. Dr Thomas Isaac has been very visible with two important activities – the budget and the special purpose vehicle for infrastructure- Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
Mr Balan occupies seat number 2 in the Assembly, and has shown his commitment to work. The Public Works portfolio has been with ministers belonging to Muslim League or Kerala Congress for most part of the last 40 years. The Department needs a cleanup and Mr G Sudhakaran is an appropriate choice as the minister; his style is blunt and abrasive, but integrity unquestioned. Other CPM ministers are first-timers, who are yet to make their mark. A minor reshuffle has been effected now and there would be a few interesting things to watch – will Mr M M Mani mellow down, will Mr A C Moideen develop as a good Industries Minister like Mr Elamaram Kareem in the previous LDF government, and will Mr Kadakampally Surendran, who has shown excellent potential as Minister, do well in the new portfolio where the approach will be more political than administrative.
Mr Jayarajan’s handling of administration was clumsy and unacceptable, and obviously he had to leave; but there is a Kannurian E K Nayanar-like innocence in him, without the sense of humour and with added brashness. CPI Ministers are all new, and except for Mr V S Sunil Kumar, they have been low profile. In the early coalition governments in Kerala, the CPI Ministers were some of the smartest, with the likes of C Achutha Menon, M N Govindan Nair, T V Thomas, P K Vasudevan Nair and P S Sreenivasan. Nobody would attempt comparing present ministers with these stalwarts and one has to allow more time for them to settle down. Of the Ministers from the other coalition partners, Mr A K Saseendran, Mr Mathew T Thomas and Mr Ramachandran Kadannappally have shown maturity in actions and statements.
The government has been found wanting in a few areas. Until the Centre created the currency problem, the biggest threat to the people of Kerala came from stray dogs. No civilized society would tolerate such an army of stray dogs in public places. The government could not evolve a policy or develop an action plan to contain this menace. The second issue was the spat between media persons and lawyers. Incidents happened on the premises of courts and the primary responsibility is on the higher judiciary to take a fair decision in favour of transparency in public interest. The media, especially the visual media breaking news by the minute, can often be accused of biased and ill-informed reporting, but that is no justification for preventing the reporting of court proceedings.
A third area of concern is the number of fatalities in the CPM-RSS confrontations, especially in Kannur, with the cadre keen on scoring the equalizer with every murder. The ugliest episodes during this six months period do not involve the government but involve two former Chief Ministers. Mr Oommen Chandy and five others were indicted by a Bengaluru court and ordered to repay '1.6 cr allegedly collected from a planter for setting up solar projects. Mr V S Achuthanandan’s greed for public office and government facilities was exposed when news channel cameras captured contents of a paper he gave to CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechuri. The government seems to be on the right track, but is yet to pick up speed. People’s expectations are still very high as the Government is headed by a leader capable of taking tough decisions in public interest. The next elections are far away, and this is probably the time to act.
Agitate, govern at same time
The most revered Communist leader, E M S Namboodiripad, when he was Chief Minister, set a precedent for the policy of ‘Administration-cum-Agitation’. This is now practised by several State Chief Ministers. Kerala government is following the same path with support to the ‘all-India general strike’ (synonymous with ‘hartal in Kerala only’) by trade unions in September, the recent dharna in front of the Reserve Bank and yet another hartal on the day of Akrosh on November 28.
Fresh burden of Rs 50,000 crore
The budget has several positive ideas for action but an assessment of these can be made only after the close of the year. The good thing about KIIFB and the proposal to raise Rs 50,000 crore over five years is that there will be a special effort to develop infrastructure; the State has a dire need for such an effort. However, most of these projects, including big ones like Vizhinjam Port project, do not generate any returns for the government, and very few projects contribute to economic activity in their regions. When non-remunerative projects are financed with borrowed funds, there is a huge debt burden for the citizens. With his characteristic disarming smile, Dr Thomas Isaac is quietly placing an additional debt burden of Rs 50,000 crore on 80 lakh households in the State, over and above the normal government borrowing.
‘Do not demoralise bureaucracy’
Some of the actions taken against senior officers in the name of vigilance have embarrassed the government. After a highly publicized visit of a Vigilance team to the residence of Additional Chief Secretary K M Abraham, the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister were heard openly eulogizing him. Again, one has to wait and see if there is justification for the high-profile cases against Additional Chief Secretary Tom Jose and the arrest and parading of Mr K Padmakumar of Malabar Cements. Corruption is not a one-person game; there are multiple players involved and the scent of corruption spills into the atmosphere. Competent and unbiased vigilance machinery can help reduce corruption at all levels in the administration; simultaneously, the government must prove its intentions by ensuring integrity at the top of the hierarchy. A large section of the public believes that Mr Vijayan is capable of securing this. The government must also realize the tremendous damage to the system if senior officers are demoralized with public display of investigation into frivolous charges.
Sudden slide in ties with Centre
The Centre’s support is critical, and it was heartening to see that the two governments getting along with mutual understanding, respect and coordination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, having been a State Chief Minister for long, understands CMs very well, and Mr Vijayan had taken care to see that the political hostility between the CPM and the BJP was not carried over into the administration. But the abrupt downslide in relations cannot be ignored. It was not a great idea for Kerala Government to pass a resolution in the Assembly and then seek an appointment with the Prime Minister. Perhaps this is not the ideal way matters of State are disposed of.
Author is a former Secretary to the Government of India, now coordinating www.goodgovernancegroup.in.
