Evidently, a new style of governance has finally made its way into the Prime Minister’s Office. With Narendra Modi meeting the top bureaucrats on Wednesday to discuss policy priorities and holding a free-wheeling conversation on the mutual expectations, there’s definitely a whiff of fresh air in the stuffy corridors of Parliament, which is, in all probability, no longer an exclusive club of the political top guns. The Prime Minister, in his heart to heart rendezvous with the secretaries in various departments, made it amply clear that it is the quality and efficiency of governance that he would be interested in, rather than the quantity of pending files and passing the buck on every matter. Modi’s ‘gurumantra’ has been not only about charting a new and collective path to faster, more comprehensive and hopefully, more inclusive, path to growth and development, it is also about instilling a different work ethic amongst his peers and colleagues in the government. This new work culture would be about direct access, simplifying the circuitous methods of looking at files, as well as eliminating all the unnecessary and middle order hindrances in terms of inter The 100-day agenda to the ministers and bureaucrats also meant that the new PM is extremely interested in breaching the cumbersome ministerial barriers and provide access to all the officials who have bright and feasible ideas which can promote growth combined with better resource allocation, distribution and bring down the pernicious income inequality.
Governance in India has long been mired in corruption and callousness, causing losses to the tune of lakhs of crores to the national exchequer. The last decade under the former UPA regime had become, unfortunately, synonymous with everything that could go wrong in a state apparatus. With the most reprehensible form of crony capitalism, nepotism and policy paralysis being the hallmark of Congress-led UPA regime, it is natural that expectations are sky-high from the Modi government. It is therefore a heartening sight to see the prime minister charting a direct route with all his officers and giving them the licence to thrill not just the system but also the country at large, which is desperate for efficient and honest governance from its babus. Abolishing the group of ministries earlier, Modi has made it clear that the last word on any decision would be his. While there could be streaks of authoritarianism in this approach, it is evident that bureaucracy in India has been shaken from its long slumber and has been compelled to sit up and take note of the new style of proactive governance. Accountable and efficient implementation of pro-people legislations is the only method to take India to the next level and looks like
Modi has shown the way.