Even those who do not agree with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's divisive politics, and I am one of them, admire his administrative skills. In July, I interviewed him for a TV series called Government At Work, which seeks to dispel the notion that government uniformly does not deliver and the apparatus of governance has become too rigid to encourage innovation. We focused on some district-level initiatives that have either been nominated, or have won, the Prime Minister's award for excellence in public administration. Two of the initiatives that we reviewed were from Gujarat - the Janseva Kendras of Ahmedabad that are a one-stop shop for government services, including land records, and the kitchen gardens attached to Baroda anganwadis which have made green leafy vegetables inexpensively available to children and expectant mothers, raising haemoglobin levels and boosting immunity.
These initiatives taken by D Thara (currently deputy municipal commissioner of Ahmedabad), M Thennarasan (now collector of Sabarkantha district) and R J Patel (now district collector of Banaskantha) were part of Narendra Modi's Swantha Sukhai programme, where officials are encouraged to go beyond their remit to take up projects that give them self-satisfaction. To ensure the longevity of these initiatives - a common failing in our administrative set-up - Modi encourages the initiator to put in place a local team that can carry forward the work ever after the official is posted out. And from the ambition of a Swantha Sukhai project, Modi says, he can gauge how motivated an official is.
Another innovation is the Chintan Shivir to which officials and ministers retreat for a couple of days every year (not so far this year), to which even officials from other states, like, for instance, the chief secretary of Nagaland are invited. The Shivir acts as a clearing house of ideas and enables officials to connect with each other and get to closely know their ministers
Modi is a great communicator and likes to campaign not only during elections but also between them. He sees development as a movement because little can be achieved without people's participation. Hence the three-day drive in July to enroll the girl child, the Beti Bachao (save the girl child) Andolan, the Nirmal (clean) Gujarat Abhiyan and the Niyogi Balak (disease-free children) campaign. Modi says each of these programmes is not discrete, but flows from one to the other, so that the gains achieved by the administration are not dissipated but consolidated.
If development is participation, then it cannot be solely government-driven. Modi sees governance as a public-private partnership where the whole is more than the sum of parts. To encourage delivery in hospitals and check high death rates among newly-born babies and their mothers due to infection, Modi has initiated the Chirajeevi Yojana programme for childbirths with the assistance of private gynaecologists. Critics say the public healthcare system is being undermined, but Modi says he would rather be effective.
Modi claims amazing results. The pass percentage of rural students has improved dramatically, he says, after he isolated the grids supply power to rural homes and farms. The farms gets power during off-peak hours ensuring continuous supply to homes at night, enabling students to study.
Many of the claims about improvement in social indicators have met with skepticism from academics, like the authors of the Gujarat Human Development Index of 2004. The latest National Health and Family Welfare Survey shows that nearly half the children in Gujarat are malnourished. Modi says this study was conducted before he launched the exercise to supply fortified atta and micronutrient candies to children.
Modi has an extensive grapevine that alerts him to every development in the state. Through Swagat Online he personally redresses grievances on the last Thursday of every month through videoconferences with district officials, keeping the administration on its toes.
When reminded of his politics Modi says development cannot be divisive. That's another mantra from a man known also for his message-management skills.
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No doubt he is good administrator but he is good only when he does not violate communal harmony! He knows what he does! He knows what is good and what is bad. He can be a good PM and would like to see him as a PM but only if he follows his "RAJDHARM" ...Reply
At last we are hearing something good about Modi from the Media. ...Reply
Thank you, sir for atleast giving us this message on Modi from a different perspective. In the age of Hypocracy, one reality can make a difference.
Every one can point out the mistake a person had done or wasn't able to handle, but how many in our nation can say the difference they have seen in the administrative aspects.
This nation needs an holistic developmental approach, not an island of class political development or development which is indifferent to its people, atleast Modi tried to bring such a phase through his administration
India-a nation of centuries old civilisation, with abled administrators and intellectuals cannot take a cue out from its history of why there is a need for overall development.
I thank you once again for giving out a good analysis about Modi from administrative perspective. Furthe i am expection more from you sir.
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Hi:
At last few good words about Modi and his govornance. CM and politicians from other state should take some lesson from him and implement 'chintan shivir' like activities.
Because of 2000 Gujrat riot, US not providing VISA to Modi. They term it violation of human act. Definitely what happened in 2000 is very bad and should not happen anywhere and incidents like Godhra also shoud not happen. But look at what Bush has done to Iraq...Is not that a bigger and sinner violation of human right? Has any country cancelled his VISA? Sheer hypocracy!
We Indians both Hindus and Muslims love to live togather in love and peace. But there are some Muslims who spread terror and help in spreading terror and hatred in our country and destabilise it. SIMI has been banned because of this, because of their anti India activity. When such forces arises, counter forces rises...........we see resust is Bajran Dal, VHP etc...
Religion does not teach hatred or doing harm to others. But if someone harms you, you have right to resist. Now a days if hindus talks about own sentiment, they are termed as anti-secular.
This is the result of mis rull by our politicians for last 60 years. In the name of secularism, minority and majority, they have divided the nation....they have failed miserably make different community love each other and stay togather. Result is Kashmir imbroglio. A small issue could not handled by our political and they call themselves leader(?). Result is so many innocent people lost life.
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Sir, I really appreciate and congratulate for your descriptive article giving the facts and ground reality in area of the Govt. performance and progress which I am fortunate to witness and experience as a resident in Ahmedabad since my birth i.e. 59 years. Unfortunately the matter is centralised at a point of divisions in Hindu and Muslim intentionally to mislead the people in India and world community as well for political gain instead of making healthy competition in achieving best of the fruits of Govt. performance in the states. In Gujarat Muslim community are free and fearless and supported impartially in their trade,business,prfession etc. in each and every corner in Gujarat. The communal riots have been happening even for a small incident since before and after independence due to inherent nature of the state and therefore shri Modi has no role to have his alleged divisive policy. To the large extent the Congress party is responsible for such division as the party has continued the policy of British Rule for political gain. Sir, once again I thank for your nice article and hope only free,fair and impartial journalism would save the nation in the prevailing dirty politics in India- Bharat Shah, Ahmedabad ...Reply
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