Of late the Prime Minister thinks right
With increasing insurgency and deteriorating law and order situation in the country, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, seems to have realized that the functioning of his government lacks some vital points, which should have been taken care of long before announcing the welfare schemes meant for the common people of the country. The benefits under almost all the welfare schemes have failed to reach the real beneficiaries, leading to a condition of mistrust over the functioning of the government machineries. Huge funds allotted by the Central Government to the States under developmental schemes ‘dried-up midway’ mysteriously. Bogus utilization certificates were and are procured and exhibited by vested interests mentioning the works done, even without the knowledge of the local people of the area under which the funds reported to have been utilized.
The recent Naxalites and Maoists’ activities have compelled the Prime Minister to rethink over the problems, which plague the countrymen and generally created by none other than his own persons, whom he trusts. The major schemes introduced for the welfare of the weaker section of society, either have not been properly implemented or reported wrongly. As a result the funds allotted for the people’s welfare, are siphoned by one or the other ‘powerful lobby’. The stories highlighted by media are also overlooked. Ironically, such influential people publish fake reports in their ‘mouthpieces’ as a number of them have now become the ‘controller of media’. The reason behind the failures of welfare schemes is that the responsibility of their implementation have gone in wrong hands.
The Prime Minister’s concern over the sympathetic attitude of the people in Naxalites and Maoists-infected areas is right. He has now realized that the schemes can be implemented successfully through the Panchayati Raj and therefore the village Panchayats are to be strengthened. He has also realized the reasons behind the people’s support to the Naxalites and Maoists activities. The reasons for the people’s support to such activities is not only because they are deprived of their rights. They are also under dilemma about the security provided by the government, which has even failed to provide proper security to its security personnel. They are also deprived of their rights because the funds for their welfare are not directly sent to the Gram Panchayat, it comes through state governments which are authorized to distribute the Central funds to them. There is no proper system of verifying the utilization of funds by the Central Government. The politicians and bureaucrats are working ‘hand in hand’ in siphoning the funds. Therefore the people in remote areas have no other way to survive.
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