Uttar Pradesh : A State Hungry For Good Governance

Our politician, most of the times, blamed ‘coalition dharma’ as major hurdle in the path of development. In last two State assembly elections, the people of Uttar Pradesh gave their clear mandate to some popular parties to rule upon the State. Here, so called the coalition dharma totally disappears from the scene. It is a good sign for a State like Uttar Pradesh, where many national and regional parties are contesting elections with their full potential. Thus, it was hoped that a party which would make government in the State would try to establish an efficient government. But time has shown that to have a hope for good governance from Uttar Pradesh Government is just like swimming in glaciers. Uttar Pradesh, being the most populated State of our country, can become a State of best human resources in India. Of course, the State is facing some critical challenges in its social, economic and political environment, but it can be solved by a stable, efficient and visionary government. Social problems like crime against women and children; gender inequality; malnutrition; weak health care system; dwindling education system; disappearing social harmony among classes and communities; and disparity in income redistribution have caused a lack of social security among the people of Uttar Pradesh. Major economic challenges like unbalanced growth of economy among the regions in the State (heavily industrialized regions of NOIDA, Greater NOIDA, Ghaziabad, etc. and scarcely industrialized regions of far-eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand); interrupted power supply to industrial units and agriculture; weak physical infrastructure such as lack of all-weather roads; structural unemployment; poverty; lack of entrepreneurship; weakening of MSME sector and many others have deteriorated the State’s economic figure. On political front, caste and religion based politics; increasing corruption in government offices; inefficient public administration; red taped bureaucracy; nepotism; lack of transparency and accountability; disintegrating law & order and some other things are continuously de-shielding the Constitutional guards. In a condition like this there is greater room for a government to work out on improving the governance but today, in spite of performing some reform activities, the current U.P. government is doing only politics. When the Samajwadi Party’s government under the leadership of Mr. Akhilesh Yadav came into power in Uttar Pradesh, it made millions of hearts happy as they envisaged a dream of a progressive increase in the development and overall happiness of Uttar Pradesh. But after one and half years of Samajwadi Party’s government, this dream is disappearing day by day. Though Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has taken some counter measures to tackle with (the above mentioned challenges) like ensuring health care facilities to the rural population of the State, starting on-door ambulance services, equipping the students with modern day technology, promoting cooperative societies, announcing the Uttar Pradesh Industrial and Infrastructure Investment Policy 2012, yet the ongoing political insensitiveness over the recent developments in some crucial social, economic, political and administrative issues has made the government a mockery. It is a time of high need, when our State government should work on new growth and development model suitable to our State with highest priority to administrative efficiency, effectiveness and people’s satisfaction. Otherwise to have faith in our government would be a thing of past.