The emergence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on national scene, installation of a Government in National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi led by Arvind Kejriwal and AAP’s decision to contest ensuing General elections has shaken the entire political landscape. It is being widely perceived that AAP poses a serious threat to both the national parties viz., Congress and BJP besides carrying with it a distinct possibility of running down in fact, submerging in the Tsunami a plethora of regional outfits like BSP and SP. The fuel for this wave in favour of AAP comes from a huge sense of disgruntlement of public cutting across all sections of society with the extant political establishment that gets identified with inefficiency, nepotism, corruption...
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Category: Governance reforms
Should private companies be under CAG scrutiny?
The order of Delhi High Court (DHC) to let the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office (CAG) to conduct audit of 5 major private telecom companies has led to consternation in corporate circles as also within the ruling UPA establishment. FICCI President has observed that ‘CAG was constituted to be answerable to Parliament in respect of businesses owned by the Government. There is no place for CAG interfering in to a private company’s books. It can happen only if there is a contract between a private company and Government in this regard’. The apex industry body is either oblivious of the background and developments culminating in the current order of DHC or conspicuously ignoring facts as that could cause it embarrassment...
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Dr Manmohan Singh press conference – an exercise in ‘obfuscating’ facts
The 5 years of governance (2009-10 to 2013-14) under UPA II has been an economic disaster. But, Dr Manmohan Singh during his press conference on January 3, 2014 – third during last one decade of his un-interrupted stint as Prime Minister – tried to camouflage it unsuccessfully though. Having got a mandate to re-govern in 2009, it was only logical that Dr Singh should be doing an introspection on the performance of UPA Government during the last 5 years viz., 2009-10 to 2013-14. Yet, he preferred to amalgamate UPA I & UPA II and exhorted that economy had done consistently well during last one decade. To even make a reference to the performance under UPA I at current juncture is...
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Is Kejriwal indulging in populism?
In a drastic shift from conventional approach to governance, immediately after being sworn in as CM of Delhi, Mr Kejriwal has got cracking and taken decisions to deliver on two major promises made in AAP’s election manifesto. These are reduction in power tariff by 50% on supplies to households consuming less than 400 units and supply of 20 kilo liter of water per family per month ‘free’ to all those families having a metered connection. For decades, established political system has either reneged on commitments given to the public or acted with a huge time lag giving much less than what was promised. Quite often, winning parties have even slept over till it is time to face electorate again. This pattern...
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Governance AAP style – will it deliver?
Despite not having an absolute majority and on ‘crutches’ from Congress whose so called ‘un-conditional’ support cannot be taken for granted (already, ex-CM has clarified that this is ‘conditional’ and issue based), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) under Mr Arvind Kejriwal has caught the bull by horn in deference to the wishes of majority public opinion of Delhi citizens. Mr Kejriwal draws his confidence not just from overwhelming support AAP got from public during elections and through referendum thereafter but more so from his ‘complete’ and ‘intrinsic’ surrender and dedication to the welfare of the people and no less important, his willingness to govern in an ‘open’ and ‘transparent’ manner. It is precisely this ‘openness’ and ‘transparency’ that gives him...
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Lok Pal – a potent weapon in India’s crusade against corruption
Corruption is the most formidable challenge India has ever faced. This menace has got fully entrenched in the system at every level of governance. It is the biggest enemy of development and well being of the masses. A corrupt politician or bureaucrat in charge of policy making, implementation of welfare schemes, allocation of resources, grant of approvals or licenses, making laws etc is capable of undermining good decisions and causing huge loss to exchequer. Imagine, if this malady afflicts a large cross-section of the bureaucracy and political establishment, the consequences can be horrendous. This is precisely what we have seen especially during the last decade of governance under UPA–I&II. GDP growth has plummeted to a low of less than 5%,...
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Growth held hostage to bureaucratic red-tape
In a recent address to captains of Indian industry at FICCI, Mr Rahul Gandhi, Vice-President, Congress lambasted the ‘arbitrary’ powers enjoyed by an Environment Minister as major stumbling bloc in granting approvals to projects. In this backdrop, it was not just a coincidence that the Union Minister for Environment & Forest, Ms Jayanti Natarajan submitted her resignation though this was camouflaged as being necessaited by the need to enable her focus on party work. At a time when India is trapped in to a low GDP growth trajectory of less than 5%, projects worth Rs 10 lakh crores (US$ 160 billion) are pending clearance at the level of Minister despite approval already granted by environment appraisal panels. Of projects worth...
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