Pakistan Today
MALIK TARIQ ALI
PM Nawaz has been in power for almost 14 months, and other than mere announcements of mega projects, such as building highways, motorways etc, there has neither been structural reforms to revamp a decadent bureaucracy, improve tax collection, police reforms, nor investment in neglected and inadequate health and education sector. It has taken this government more than a year to appoint High Commissioner to the UK and there seems to be no intent to fulfill electoral promises of providing qualified and highly competent specialists to head state corporations, financial and regulatory bodies.
It is this lack of decision making capacity which has led to further accumulation of losses and inefficiency in white elephants like PSM, PIA, CAA, EOBI, Railways, power distribution sector, FBR, NHA etc. The fact that PML-N inherited a collapsed infrastructure from its predecessor required them to take quick tough decisions, if economic recovery is to be achieved. Unless tax collection is increased, national debt will continue to pile, deficit will increase and this country cannot invest in development of human resources, which have shown a rapid deterioration in the past two decades and provided perfect environment for breeding terrorism.
In sharp contrast Modi has embarked upon plans to change decadent bureaucratic setup that existed in the past 67 years to suit dynastic policies of Nehru family, under which institutionalised corruption had become a cancer. In just 30 days Modi has ordered building a fast track road with 50 posts along disputed China border and a $2 billion extension of Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka and radar stations in Andaman and Nicobar islands in Bay of Bengal. The Modi government has approved stalled decision to raise Narmada Dam height to 455 feet for more water storage, while approving free X-rays, CT scans and MRIs for the poor in all government hospitals.
In a move to keep a check on bureaucracy the government has ordered them to repeal all laws which hinder good governance, transparency and delays in file movement, while withdrawing all powers from gazetted officers for attesting documents following complaints of misuse. It has also issued instructions that in future only scientists and technical associates will be allowed to attend scientific and technical conferences in India and abroad, putting a total ban on any minister or bureaucrat to be part of such delegations.
In a move to fulfil his election manifesto PM Modi has ordered planting of 200 crore trees along one lakh kilometres of national highways, to provide jobs to 30 lakh poor youth, to put in place best qualified CEOs on merit to head almost every state owned enterprise or corporation. He has also approved revised strategy for kickstarting ambitious national optical fibre network to link 2.5 lakh panchayats and lower judiciary by March 2017.
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