CITIZENS’ REPORT CARD

(SECTORWISE)

POLITICS

Direction correct – Changed from People’s to Public e.g. focusing on manifesto than leaders; Opposition has been vibrant.

Orientation flawed – Still Individual & Events centric than issues and concerns ; Opposition more about turf protection of leaders than citizens.

Key Decisions- Initiating Vidhan Parishad – Contesting Deputy Speaker.; Opposition promoting new leadership; reduction of Assembly sessions; right to water.; Right to water Is the only legislation Course correction – Ideally , Cong must revert the deputy speaker’s position to the opposition.; Empower the Panchyats along-with.; BJP must reclaim its space in the House.- move beyond disruption ; Opposition must own the House.

Initiating primary education of Gonds in Gondi- a step in the right direction.

ECONOMY

Direction correct- Taking the Economy to Growth / demand led than Safety / supply driven.

Orientation flawed- Resource and data monetisation.

Key Decisions – Borrowing from the market.

Course correction –Come up with a vision, plan , policies and MP model of development.

GOVERNANCE

Direction correct – Style correct : From Kutumb to Corporate ; autonomy

Orientation flawed – Fashion odd : Concentration on projects and schemes than Policies and programmes ; Government no reaching out to people – directly , thru media et al. It is all about projects and executive decision , No innovative programmes , schemes as yet .

Key Decisions -Freehand to the Cabinet ; ;District government
reservation for OBC stayed in court.

Course correction -Take governance to people- more cabinet meets/ VS session out of Bhopal;

ADMINISTRATION

Direction correct – Decentralisation

Orientation flawed -Infringing autonomy –politicians trying to dominate rather than lead; Micromanaging Transfers.

Key Decisions RSS cleansing ; shunning non-state actors

Course correction – Put S.O.P.’s in place .;empower lower officials; home delivery of at least some public services.

EDUCATION

Direction correct – Initiating vernacular education.

Orientation flawed – Skill training without capacity building
Key Decisions -Gondi introduced in primary schools; Supporting traditional skills Course correction – Engage the existing pool of Educators ;capacity building alongwith skill training.

SOCIAL

Direction correct – Social security schemes continued

Orientation flawed – Social outreach poor

Key Decisions –15 percent OBC reservation.

Course correction –Engage party workers /grassroots organisations for live social outreach.

CULTURE

Direction correct – Shift to Ethno-Classic from Folk-Popular
Orientation flawed – Cultural appeasement; Increase in number of events/activities.

Key Decisions- narrowcasting Urdu; Setting up of the Department of spirituality.

Course correction- Revert the cultural aspects of Urdu to Deptt. of culture while promotion of Urdu language remain with minorities deptt. ; bring in qualitative rather than quantitative change

URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Direction correct – Going in for more horizontal than vertical development.

Orientation flawed – Extrapolating the Smart city concept to smaller towns; Metro rail in unsustainable cities.

Key Decisions – Satellite towns , Master plans mooted;

Course correction – Have Smart cities-cum-satellite towns; Metro-cum-monorail.

MINING

Direction correct – Going in for auction rather than lease route.

Orientation flawed – Centralising the process.

Key Decisions – New sand mining policy.

Course correction – Have only as much sand mining as its generation to make it ecologically sustainable. Go for other alternatives like stone crushing for excess demand.

INDUSTRY

Direction correct – MSME focus .

Orientation flawed – Legal approach of reserving jobs for locals

Key Decisions – Ultra Mega industrial township on Bhopal- Indore Expressways.

Course correction –Multiple agri- organic clusters , SHG’s , Stand ups , cooperatives in the Eastern part of the state.

MEDIA

Direction correct – No sole focus on managing headlines by individuals and events ; space given to cabinet ministers too.

Orientation flawed – Ignoring public Education.

Key Decisions –Blocking digital media.

Course correction –Launch a Vidhan Sabha TV(even on web); long overdue (it has been a bipartisan promise in the past two regimes)

SECTIONWISE

YOUTH

Direction correct – Promoting those industries which provide jobs to locals

Orientation flawed – Announcing skill training for band masters etc . without jobs for others.

Key Decisions -Swabhimaan Yojana ; enhancement / reduction in Age limit for job exams.

Course correction –Focus on products /services by the youth ,for the youth.

WOMEN

Direction correct – Empowering women

Orientation flawed – Not enabling women

Key Decisions -50 thousand for marriage .

Course correction –Economic enabling by microcredit to women SHG’s; enhance buyback of products from women groups.

SENIOR CITIZENS

Direction correct – Enhancing pension.

Orientation flawed – No meaningful engagement of senior citizens.

Key Decisions – Senior citizens to Kumbh by trainloads.

Course correction – Engaging senior citizens with government outreach.

CHILDREN

Direction correct – IMR on top priority.

Orientation flawed – Continuation of the previous mid –day meal regime

Key Decisions – Egg not a priority in Mid- Day Meal; Data verification.; Anganwaadis to be like prep- schools.

Course correction – Community based management policy for malnutrition.

FARMERS

Direction correct – Loan waiver , Power bills halved

Orientation flawed – Nothing about productivity .

Key Decisions – Loan waiver , Power bills halved

Course correction – Multiskilling farmers; marketing support.

TRADERS / BUSINESSES

Direction correct – Focus on MSME’s

Orientation flawed – Targetting traders.

Key Decisions – Announcing textile Hubs ; Gumashta made lifetime

Course correction – Engage traders’ associations con tinously.

EMPLOYEES / EXECUTIVES

Direction correct – Employee friendly approach

Orientation flawed – Making scapegoats of junior employees in crisis via. Power breakdowns.

Key Decisions – Weekly offs for Policemen ,

Course correction – Immunise employees from political diktats.
***