DailyPost 2863
THE REGULATORS COLLAPSE – IS IT NOT CRIMINAL?
The two horrific incidents in Bangalore and Delhi; the murder of a young working woman in a PG accommodation in Bangalore and the basement tragedy in an IAS coaching centre in Delhi, leading to the death of three civil service aspirants, rips apart the hollow underbelly of India’s enforcement mechanism. Regulators all and accountable none has been the game being played on the gullible masses, since times immemorial and successfully so. In the recent past we had bridges falling by the dozen in Bihar, the fire tragedies in Surat and Delhi at most vulnerable places, and we can still remember the Morbi bridge collapse not long back.
The list is endless. Hathras stampede sends a chill down our spine even today. The whole spectrum of laws, policy, rules, terms and conditions, SOPs, tech and process requirements are in a limbo. The sad part is that it has been put in a limbo by the people, who are legally mandated to uphold it and deliver. There is a visible caucus, nexus and legally illegal relationships which has turned out to be the real operating system and not the one that is claimed on paper, in law books, in TV debates and press conferences. Everything is covered yet everything has gaping holes ready for tragedies to happen, is the new reality of India’s governance.
How can the drawings be approved, no objections taken, physical inspections done, pictures uploaded, audit and what not in digital India leaving most critical observations / facts unattended. Today if one intends to deliver a near fail safe execution, then things can be tallied, reconciled, cross-referenced, validated on the fly. On the ground nothing tallies with anything and still everything is approved. The fire audit and usage audit is all but a sham. Basements have their own story to tell across the country. The demolition of Supertech twin towers in Nodia can be termed as the epitome of all that ails our system. Governance in the country, for sure, at the cutting edge level can be termed as Collusion Inc.
The biggest story of our flailing system is that the regulators are able to get away. Book a case against the superficial accused and at times the owner of the property and it is done. Keep communicating the progress of the investigation to the media and make a big bang facing the media glare and tacitly covering the rot. All this happens while there are dozens of tragedies in the waiting and nothing changes. The regulators are the main accused, who have allowed it to happen deliberately and proactively. They have created the rot for their vested interest. A Regulators Act with criminality properly defined, ingredients detailed crystal clear and penal provisions put in place can be the beginning. The impunity with which the regulators break the letter, spirit and enforcement of law has to be seen to be believed.
IF REGULATORS GO SCOT FREE, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE, THEY NEED TO FEEL THE HEAT OF WHAT THEY HAVE CREATED.
Sanjay Sahay
Have a nice evening.