Change in mindset needed
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: October 25 2011 -

Some ten years back, lack of funds was the most common excuse for the government of the day in Manipur for not looking after the most basic needs of the common people, not to talk about any big developmental projects.

In fact, the financial situation in the state was so precarious that salaries of the employees could not be paid for months together.

And since a major share of money being circulated in the state comes from the salaries of the government employees, non payment of salaries affects large sections of the population especially those who do not have financial cushion to fall back on - daily wage earners, Ima market vendors, petty shop keepers, people with odd jobs etc.

But a number of factors, around the time the first SPF government led by O Ibobi came to power in 2002, converged to bring about a turn around in this state of affairs.

Two things worked in Ibobi's favour, the first and the most important being the coming to power of the first UPA government in the centre led by Dr Manmohan Singh and second that the economy of the country was growing at a healthy rate.

But there was also a lot of criticism of this growth not being inclusive, of the widening income disparities, of marginalization of the poorer section of the society.

For instance, the crisis in the farm sector said to have set in around the late 1990s worsened progressively and in 2008, the year the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced a loan waiver amounting to Rs 60,000 crore 16,196 farmers committed suicide.

Given all these facts, the UPA government launched the Bharat Nirman and Flagship programmes for an inclusive and equitable growth. These progammes aims to tackle the poverty and deprivations especially in rural areas from various angles. For a state like Manipur with very limited resource, the Bharat Nirman and the Flagship programmes came almost as a boon.

Side by side, among other things, having the same party ruling at the centre also helped. The plan size grew progressively over the years, from Rs 590 crore for the financial year 2003-04 it increased to Rs 717 crore in 2004-05 and which for the current financial year 2011-12 is now pegged at Rs 3210.

With the leeway provided by this healthy financial assistance from the centre, the state government should have implemented these Bharat Nirman and Flagship programmes with lot more sincerity and seriousness to try and make a difference in the life of the economically and socially disadvantaged section of the populace.

During these two terms of the SPF government, some impressive infrastructural development has taken place like the three markets for women vendors, the Capitol Complex, the High Court Complex, the Art and Culture complex and of course the flyover, one of the landmarks of a modern city. But for all those who are struggling for existence, these are of no relevance.

And in almost every project, schemes or programmes which are meant for the alleviation of their hardships, there are allegations of misappropriation of fund, or funds being withdrawn without completing the work or the beneficiaries robbed of his or her due by some officials in connivance with looters and gangsters.

There has been cases of diversion of PDS items meant for mid day meal scheme to the market, of books and uniforms under SSA not being distributed, of beneficiaries not given their wages under the MGNREGS, of contract not being extended to ASHAs who are key component of the National Rural Health Mission etc.

Though everything is so impressive on paper, the ground reality does not reflect this rosy picture.

As has been happening for ages here in this state, a few powerful sections of people - in its various manifestations, pocket the major chunk of the fund among themselves leaving very little for the actual implementation of a particular programme or project.

Unless, there is a change in this state of affairs, however much money is poured in, or however good the scheme or programme is, the people for whom it is meant will hardly derive any benefit from them.