Houdini’s act & (un)accountability
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 15, 2014 -

Is it a case of the lawmakers breaking rules? Reports say 7200 quintals of sugar have been distributed among the 60 MLAs which otherwise should be distributed to people through District Supply Officers and Fair Price Shops. This is a serious breach of law by the lawmakers themselves.

The tragedy in Manipur is the political class think themselves as the ultimate authority unto them. Such haughty state of mind often turns them blind to accountability and responsibility.

When the political class is allergic to accountability and all the ramifications and implications that are closely intertwined with each other, the end result is best left without any comment.

Distribution of 7200 quintals of sugar among the 60 MLAs is quite akin to robbing the entire population off their rightful shares by their own representatives.

Even if the 7200 quintals were distributed to their respective electorates, they are still culpable for their undue interference.

Distribution of old age pension, widow pension, loans etc, etc have become a popular but cheap mode of publicity campaign for almost all the MLAs and the Ministers.

The Government has its own offices and agencies to deal with such matters. But quite ostensibly, the MLAs and Ministers are found over-stepping the Government’s structures and functions.

Political class browbeating their way or supping with bureaucrats is nothing new in this part of the planet.

A clear case in point is the Houdini’s act with respective to the State’s allocation of 17630 quintals of sugar for the month of July.

If there was no collusion between the political class and bureaucrats, the PDS items would still be present in the FCS godown or it should have been distributed to public at subsidized rate.

This does not mean all the bureaucrats and politicians are corrupted but some of them are pathologically infected.

The same report says that out of 17630 quintals of sugar procured in July, 7200 quintals were distributed among 60 MLAs but no one is sure who have taken or where the remaining quantity of sugar is.

Sheer unaccountability and irresponsibility is writ large. When the PDS item meant for the public has been made an object of Houdini’s act, who would prepare the utilization certificates?

Defiance of the rule of law and established norms by the political class would, sure enough, trigger a chain reaction. Corruption is a highly contagious social disease.

When the political class is corrupt, one cannot expect a clean or upright bureaucracy, and when the bureaucracy is corrupt, it would be sheer romanticism to expect the citizens to be honest. Such is the chain reaction triggered by corrupt political class. When the political class and bureaucracy are corrupt and citizens dishonest, the cycle of misery is complete.

And sure enough, the society is bound to fall in abyss sooner rather than later.

It is not only sugar, rice, the staple food of the State, provided to the public under Public Distribution System is erratically irregular, and the quantity does not exactly fit the one prescribed by the Government. Same is the case with SK Oil.

Siphoning, embezzlement, misappropriation etc best describe the situation as far as utilization of public funds, goods and services are concerned. For the State to rise from this ignominious abyss, the rot must be checked at once.

Accountability should be fixed and the sense of accountability should be drilled into the heads of those who according to their position of power must be accountable to public.

Will the Deputy Commissioners simply prepare and sign the utilization certificates for the 17630 quintals of sugar which have disappeared without ever reaching the District Supply Officers just because they are asked to by their political bosses.

This is a million dollar question.