The complaint caveat
- Imphal Times Editorial :: May 28 2017 -

The slew of changes that accompanies the change of guard in the state continues to delight and provide that much needed hope and positive expectations from the public which for long have been inured to toeing the line laid down by the officials, bureaucrats and the armed forces of the state.

While skeptics are still waiting and watching for any slip-up, it would not be an exaggeration to state that there is no doubt about the perceptible enthusiasm and sense of urgency with which the representatives of the people are taking up their assigned tasks head on.

Perhaps the most vivid display of the earnest intention to set things right could be when the Revenue Minister who is also in charge of CAF&PD urged the public to lodge complaints regarding any wrongdoing on the part of the government machinery.

What this entails is that the public should be made aware of the deviations and mismanagements which would raise curiosity in the minds of the people which in turn will lead to learning and knowing about the proper way of doing things in the public domain.

Participative governance has been proven to be the most progressive form of administering developmental activities in that with increased participation and involvement of the public the chances of drawing up relevant and beneficial projects, schemes and activities are much higher.

It also becomes a very powerful and ongoing system for monitoring the present activities, and more importantly, a clear indicator for the type of policies and programs that the government needs to take up and prioritise.

The flip side of the coin, one which more often than not influence the decision making process of any government is the political will and the readiness to tread the untrodden path in its endeavor to bring in changes and usher in development.

The signs are very encouraging so far.

And while the feel-good factor of the public regarding the activities being taken up so far by the Biren led BJP government is at an all time high, there still remains the very real possibility of the whole dynamic setup going astray.

For one, despite the expressed intent of the central and state government to root out corruption, the practice will continue albeit in a more clandestine manner.

And there can only be one option on the part of the state government to display the degree of its intent- to pull up and hand out exemplary punishment permissible under the law of the land without unnecessary delay or deliberation.

The inertia of the present state government is slowly but surely picking up, and it is up to the elected representatives to make sure the assurances and long cherished aspirations of the people of the state for a responsive, responsible and interactive administration is delivered without compromise or collateral.

The force to enable the state government to step forward should however come from the collective participation and involvement of the general public.

We need to raise our voices and make our opinions count for things fair or foul.