BJP govt in Karnataka: High on populism, still it’s not bad

While assessing BS Yeddyurappa’s governance during the past three years, I will restrict my views as just an economist with social perspective and I will keep off politics.

Thanks to a team of good bureaucrats and co-ordination with the political leadership, the state’s finances are still on sound footing even after the recent phase of recession.

Our debt management is still better than many states like West Bengal, and resource mobilisation too is satisfactory. The state government has not resorted to any huge loans which could pose a problem in future.

The present government’s liberal grants for religious institutions and organisations representing various communities have come under flak. There is no need for the government to look after religious institutions. But I would like to leave it to the electorate to give the judgement on it in the next election.

Development in several sectors, especially those associated with rural masses,  are quite visible in the past three years. Suvarna Bhoomi, Yashasvini and Raitha Sanjeevini are a few that I can list.

The Suvarna Bhoomi scheme which provides ¤5,000 assistance to farmers to till their land for sowing is very useful. The Ground Water Regulation Bill, which was pending since 1984, was recently passed by the state legislature. If implemented effectively there is some hope to arrest the depletion of ground water resource.

Programmes like free power for farmers, Bhagyalakshmi bonds for girl child and bicycles for school students seem highly populist, but they are justified. As far as free power is concerned, the farmers are not demanding it. What they need is quality power, steady power for at least 14 hours a day.

When the government has failed to provide quality power, the farmers are justified in getting whatever little power at free of cost. Why not when the cost involved is not even 0.005% of bad debts owed by industrialists? Transmission and distribution losses and power thefts in urban areas are so huge, but nobody seems to be worried about it.

In the absence of a mechanism to ensure remunerative price for agricultural products, our farmers deserve such programmes to improve their economic condition. The state government is on the right track with its intense focus on agriculture, rural development and girl child. But more stringent mechanisms are needed to ensure their effective implementation.

The government should do more on eradicating regional imbalances. Implementation of former chief secretary TR Satish Chandran committee report would go a long way in preventing migration of rural masses to urban areas. Comprehensive programmes for development of horticulture, sericulture and floriculture should be evolved to boost the rural economy. Former president APJ Abdul Kalam’s PURA (Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) concept should be incorporated into our planning.

The three years of this government has been beset with allegations of land scams and financial irregularities. Corruption is attaining monstrous proportions and it needs to be crushed. The government should prove its commitment to fight corruption by transparency in governance.

More stringent checks and balances need to be built in administrative system to prevent corruption, fix accountability and strengthening vigilance. I fully support the movement that is building up for implementation of a strong and deterrent Lokpal Bill.