J&K: New Government’s Four Dilemmas

People of Jammu and Kashmir have voted in the new government not because they thought that this government will solve all their problems, but because they wanted to get rid of an unfamiliar bureaucratic administration that hardly cared to ascertain how the common people felt. Then the trauma caused by August 2019 unilateral changes is still lingering and therefore they also wanted to send a message of disapproval for what happened then. All this has now been accomplished notwithstanding lack of support from much of Jammu region that voted differently and in the opposite way.

The new government faces four dilemmas. The first dilemma is about the return of special status conferred by Articles 370 and 35-A of the constitution of India. Although the party in power NC has committed in its election manifesto to strive for return of special status but barring the assembly resolution seeking special status there is nothing the new government could or can do. The CM has been honest in stating on a few occasions earlier that the people who were behind the constitutional changes of August 2019 cannot be expected to undo the same.

He therefore knows that the assembly resolution only fulfils the promise made by his party that the new assembly will pass such a resolution in case the party wins the majority. It is difficult to say with certainty how the LG will deal with this resolution. In all likelihood, it will pend for now in his office. The second dilemma is about restoration of statehood. The new government has done what it could. It passed a resolution in the very first cabinet meeting and sent it to the central government through the LG who has reportedly forwarded it to the central government. But there is no information till date whether the central government has initiated any action on the restoration of statehood.

The third dilemma is about the new government’s future relationship with the centre and the LG if the demand for statehood and other demands are not considered expeditiously by the centre. The CM will not want an uneasy relationship with the central government about which he gave enough indications during his recent visits to Delhi by calling on all the ‘whose who’ in the central government.

And finally the fourth dilemma, how to deliver on the promises made in the party’s election manifesto if central funding and support from the centre and the LG do not become available to the required extent.

It is a situation of being stuck between the rock and a hard place. Where as the CM as NC Vice President had already announced his unwillingness to contest elections till restoration of at least the statehood but as things stand and as have always been in Jammu and Kashmir, it is nearly impossible for the mainstream parties to go beyond a point in the face off with the centre because then they face the risk of staying out of power and out of reckoning. And this seems to be the reason why he changed his stand while appearing to be giving in to the wishes of the party cadres.

The new government and in particular the Chief Minister have to tread cautiously. It however, need not get bogged down by the daily public reactions or teasing statements by political rivals. People’s assessment is important but new governments take time to deliver on promises. For now the government needs to concentrate on what it can do on its own with the powers and responsibilities it has under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019.

On its own the new government can improve delivery of public services while holding officials accountable under the Public Services Guarantee (PSG) Act. Regular and reliable supply of electricity, improvement of municipal services in cities and towns, much improved solid waste management both in urban and rural areas, repair of roads, water supply in chronically deficient areas, improved health services, better facilities for students in schools and colleges, improved public transport and above all not letting the guard down on work culture and punctuality in government offices are measures which the elected government can itself take. But all this will require sustained monitoring.

CM will need to be the driving force; otherwise not much will be achieved. The good news is that CM has ordered setting up of a grievance redressal cell which will not only receive grievances but also hear individuals and deputations if they wish to be heard in person. Such a mechanism should become functional soon both at Srinagar and Jammu and must be well conceived and managed with the help of online platforms to ensure that grievances reach the right quarters and are looked into seriously and expeditiously.

The UT government after 2019 has laid lot of emphasis on digital governance and introduced e-office and e-governance up to the district level. This emphasis must be continued by the new government. Luckily, the CM himself is tech savvy and can lead by example by having an efficient e-office set up in the CM secretariat.

There is another important area where the new government can demonstrate improvement and that is in the implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. Modi government has launched large number of welfare schemes since 2014 but there has not been much information in the public domain about the extent of coverage in Jammu and Kashmir. If there are gaps in coverage, the new government can take upon itself the task of covering the uncovered and seek more funding for the same. Then there are many infrastructure development and sector specific central schemes which also need to be monitored and expedited.

Governments are supposed to steer and not row. They are supposed to leverage enormous resources and expertise of the private sector to solve public problems. The new government will need to do this considering its limited resource base. This is one area where Jammu and Kashmir government had always lagged behind partly because of lack of expertise on public-private partnership (PPP) within the state administration and partly because of inexperienced private sector. Also, involving NGOs and self help groups (SHGs) wherever possible will ensure people’s participation in welfare schemes and development.

The new government also needs to review many of the existing policies and formulate policies on subjects where there are none. For example, restriction on construction of residential houses on agriculture land would need formulation of a housing policy that facilitates people to have quality housing at affordable cost. Jammu and Kashmir needs to encourage housing in apartment buildings to reduce pressure on scarce land. There is great scope for tackling many public problems by tweaking existing policies or by formulating new policies.

Protection of environment, ecology, biodiversity and natural resources of Jammu and Kashmir will need to be accorded top priority to preserve its natural beauty and enormous tourism potential. The new government needs to formulate an innovative skill development plan for the youth and particularly for those who are not keen to pursue higher studies after 12^th class. Skilling will not only provide self employment but also encourage entrepreneurship. Some skills will help provide jobs outside J&K and abroad. A decentralised skilling system involving master craftsperson and experts as trainers will help to train more number of youth at lower cost if implemented well.

Last but not the least is the need to tighten regulatory administration. There must be zero tolerance for violations of rules and regulations. If people want high quality services, they must simultaneously be willing to follow rules and regulations and not violate just because some rules and regulations appear easy to violate. A culture of honouring rules and compliance needs to be promoted. On its part the UT government must begin an exercise at simplification of rules and procedures and amendment of laws which are within the purview of the UT assembly. Simplification of rules and procedures, reengineering of government processes and ease of doing business must become important administrative reform initiatives of the new government and continuously monitored.

 (Khurshid Ahmed Ganai is a retired IAS officer of erstwhile J&K cadre and a former Advisor to Governor, J&K )