Daily Post 2994
GOVERNANCE PROCEDURE CODE
We have all heard of Criminal Procedure Code, Civil Procedure Code, Business Rules, Resolution Mechanisms and what not, and all of them are running reasonably successfully, to keep the concerned activities / process in tandem and delivering. The legal template of admission, timelines, milestones during the process, the output all neatly laid out the same for all stakeholders / parties all the time, through the ages. Most of the time there is an appellate redressal mechanism, if you are not satisfied with the first level resolution, on a specific format and modality.
When it comes to governance at the real level; responses and resolutions which impact the largest number of people, there is no codification. Only at a lower, supposedly cutting edge level for dealing with transactional issues pertaining to government services and utilities; rules, responses, timelines and delivery is in place. It is functioning reasonably fine. The juggernaut moves. Once you get to a slightly higher level, issues where heart, mind and brawl is required, things start getting awry and nobody is in control of it, and no one wants to get embroiled in it.
The situation is so bad that there is no one ready to take care of a messed up project, our governance mechanism stands in silent testimony to it. What would be the state of affairs then when it comes to serious governance issues? It is no one’s baby, there is codified law to force them to respond, react, process as per law and then deliver in the prescribed manner. Maybe this system was created having ultimate faith in the political executive and top echelons of the permanent executive. They have miserably failed us. There are any number of issues, festering wounds, and no one to take care, and powers that be celebrate either elections, electioneering or the regular comfort of an easy, unaccountable executive life.
What has been the governance reaction to farmers agitation? The government is to respond in which manner, in what amount of time and at what level remains unknown. Orders pass through functionaries who are actually not the real originators / decision makers. What is the protocol of engaging them in discussion? How will the process operate; formats, processing, need and format deliberations, experts when needed, nature of reply or resolution templates for the government. You can turn a complete blind eye while knowing the issue in and out, for vested reasons. You might not visit troubled areas, or dharna or protest sites, it might be next to your office or residence. A national highway can remain closed not for days but for months and years together. We don’t have a legislated Governance Procedure Code, that is the challenge / handicap to dealing with things above the regular day to day administration. Give a thought to the resident doctors in W. Bengal still working in fear, or the deliberately unattended Manipur.
ADMINISTRATION CANNOT SORT OUT GOVERNANCE. A GOVERNANCE PROCEDURE CODE IS A NECESSITY.
Sanjay Sahay