Let me start this blog with a good story narrated in an article of Mr. P.V.Indiresan published in Business Line of May 30, 2005:
“In Bhakta Vijayam, Namadeva, the great devotee of Vithala of Phandrapur, took a bet that within three days, he would make the stone bull in the temple eat the prasadam offered to the deity.
Then, Namadeva prayed and prayed to Vithala to fulfil his faith but nothing happened for three days. At the last moment, when Namadeva was about to commit suicide in frustration, the stone bull got up and ate the prasadam.
Namadeva was furious with Vithala that he was made to wait for three days. Vithala explained: "Your faith told you that I needed three days to make a stone bull to come alive and eat the prasadam; you did not think that I could have done it earlier. I have merely confirmed the extent of the faith you had in Me!"
The moral of the story is government officials will function according to the faith reposed in them.”
The theme of this article was a critical overview of Bharat Nirman scheme, which had just been launched and such was Mr. Indiresan's foresight that he had predicted exactly what would transpire after 4 years in these words:
“It will give a field day for the CAG to make nasty remarks in some future year.”
Yes it has happened and this Government has got nasty remarks which no other Government earlier had got especially on Government finances and accounts and the reason the Government tried to repose its faith outside the system of Government. For the first time in living memory a Government has been rapped by CAG on basic accounting. Let us see some of the comments of CAG published:
“Union Government made a provision for transfer of central plan assistance of Rs. 51259.85 crore (as per revised estimates) directly to state/district level autonomous bodies and authorities, societies, nongovernmental organisations, etc., for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes without devolving funds through State Government accounts. The amount of unspent balances in their accounts maintained outside Government accounts is unascertainable. The Government expenditure as reflected in the Accounts to that extent is overstated. (From Highlights of CAG's comments on Union Government Accounts)”
What does this imply? Some insights are provided in Para 2.2 of the Report about the deviation:
“Most of these schemes were earlier implemented on cost sharing basis with transfer of central share to State Government. The Union Government has now started transferring central plan assistance directly to state/district level autonomous bodies, societies and non- Governmental organisations for implementation of CSS without devolving funds through the state Government accounts. The State and District level implementing bodies keep these scheme funds in their accounts in banks outside Government Accounts.”
This means the Government has transferred without accountability for the money spent huge resources to bodies outside the Government System of which it is not aware whether it has spent the money at all, leave alone to know if it has been spent for the purpose for which it is meant.
No doubt the then Finance Minister with his panache and flair said in the budget speech for the year 2005-06 as follows:
“I must caution that outlays do not necessarily mean outcomes. The people of the country are concerned with outcomes. The Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasized the need to improve the quality of implementation and enhance the efficiency and accountability of the delivery mechanism.”
If the Government does not fix accountability for its resources from those who have been vested with it, then it is the turn of the citizens to fix accountability on the Government.
Let me end this blog with another story:
After the death of Parikshit bitten by a snake, his son Janamejaya conducted a yaga to kill all the serpents. He began calling all the snakes and brought them into the bonfire of yaga by mantras. It became the turn of Dakshaka and he called Dakshaka thus: “Dakshakam Aahvayaka”. Dakshaka went and hid under the seat of Indra. Coming to know of this Janamejaya said “Indra sametha Dakshakam Aahvayaka”.
If those to whom the largesse have been distributed are hiding behind the seat of PM or UPA chairperson without any account for the largesse, let us call the PM and UPA chairperson to account before the bonfire of general elections. There are some more in the CAG report to call this Government to account, let us see them in future blogs.
“In Bhakta Vijayam, Namadeva, the great devotee of Vithala of Phandrapur, took a bet that within three days, he would make the stone bull in the temple eat the prasadam offered to the deity.
Then, Namadeva prayed and prayed to Vithala to fulfil his faith but nothing happened for three days. At the last moment, when Namadeva was about to commit suicide in frustration, the stone bull got up and ate the prasadam.
Namadeva was furious with Vithala that he was made to wait for three days. Vithala explained: "Your faith told you that I needed three days to make a stone bull to come alive and eat the prasadam; you did not think that I could have done it earlier. I have merely confirmed the extent of the faith you had in Me!"
The moral of the story is government officials will function according to the faith reposed in them.”
The theme of this article was a critical overview of Bharat Nirman scheme, which had just been launched and such was Mr. Indiresan's foresight that he had predicted exactly what would transpire after 4 years in these words:
“It will give a field day for the CAG to make nasty remarks in some future year.”
Yes it has happened and this Government has got nasty remarks which no other Government earlier had got especially on Government finances and accounts and the reason the Government tried to repose its faith outside the system of Government. For the first time in living memory a Government has been rapped by CAG on basic accounting. Let us see some of the comments of CAG published:
“Union Government made a provision for transfer of central plan assistance of Rs. 51259.85 crore (as per revised estimates) directly to state/district level autonomous bodies and authorities, societies, nongovernmental organisations, etc., for implementation of centrally sponsored schemes without devolving funds through State Government accounts. The amount of unspent balances in their accounts maintained outside Government accounts is unascertainable. The Government expenditure as reflected in the Accounts to that extent is overstated. (From Highlights of CAG's comments on Union Government Accounts)”
What does this imply? Some insights are provided in Para 2.2 of the Report about the deviation:
“Most of these schemes were earlier implemented on cost sharing basis with transfer of central share to State Government. The Union Government has now started transferring central plan assistance directly to state/district level autonomous bodies, societies and non- Governmental organisations for implementation of CSS without devolving funds through the state Government accounts. The State and District level implementing bodies keep these scheme funds in their accounts in banks outside Government Accounts.”
This means the Government has transferred without accountability for the money spent huge resources to bodies outside the Government System of which it is not aware whether it has spent the money at all, leave alone to know if it has been spent for the purpose for which it is meant.
No doubt the then Finance Minister with his panache and flair said in the budget speech for the year 2005-06 as follows:
“I must caution that outlays do not necessarily mean outcomes. The people of the country are concerned with outcomes. The Prime Minister has repeatedly emphasized the need to improve the quality of implementation and enhance the efficiency and accountability of the delivery mechanism.”
If the Government does not fix accountability for its resources from those who have been vested with it, then it is the turn of the citizens to fix accountability on the Government.
Let me end this blog with another story:
After the death of Parikshit bitten by a snake, his son Janamejaya conducted a yaga to kill all the serpents. He began calling all the snakes and brought them into the bonfire of yaga by mantras. It became the turn of Dakshaka and he called Dakshaka thus: “Dakshakam Aahvayaka”. Dakshaka went and hid under the seat of Indra. Coming to know of this Janamejaya said “Indra sametha Dakshakam Aahvayaka”.
If those to whom the largesse have been distributed are hiding behind the seat of PM or UPA chairperson without any account for the largesse, let us call the PM and UPA chairperson to account before the bonfire of general elections. There are some more in the CAG report to call this Government to account, let us see them in future blogs.
