The Janata Darbars held Monday at Sanquelim and Vasco stood in total contrast. Power Minister Sudin Dhavalikar, who was in command at Vasco, was faced with a barrage of issues ” from garbage, coal, pollution, electricity, water and even staff, while in Sanquelim, Water Resources Minister Subhash Shirodkar had a field day facing a paltry crowd turning out at the venue.
On paper, Janata Darbar is an excellent concept of public interaction. Held on the first Monday of every month, the Darbar gives an unique opportunity for everyday citizens to come face-to-face with ministers and administrative staff and raise issues, seek redressal and offer suggestions. These direct interactions cut through all the official clutter and complicated paperwork, a process that could fetch results quickly. On the flip side, it also becomes a barometer for the government to gauge public sentiment, with ministers getting a first-hand view of grievances and issues of people.
However, the response to Monday's Darbar at Sanquelim, the backyard of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, comes as a surprise and tells a shockingly different story. It was rather amusing that government officers who accompanied Shirodkar at the Darbar outnumbered the people present. The embarrassment of Shirodkar was evident since he promptly blamed the poor response on the lack of coordination between officials, elected representatives and the people.
While there has been a low turnout of some of these meetings ever since they started in July this year, the lack of coordination does not seem to be the sole factor responsible for the failure of Darbars. Rather, it is also the dying interest in this exercise and the inability to address issues of public interest. Shirodkar's suggestion of a monthly report card system where departments are to provide updates on works in progress and pending tasks is by itself an explanation of why people are turning away from the darbars.
While the government's initiative and courage in facing people on issues is appreciated, the objective seems to have been defeated, with ministers and staff carelessly going through the motions without giving any accountability. Without an action taken report, the Darbars would be meaningless public exercises resulting in wastage of time and energy.
The chief minister must take stock every month and seek accountability from those facing people. The response to the darbars largely depends on the resolution, so there must be a report card. If issues are getting resolved, there is no reason why the public would give these Darbars a miss. Similar exercises in the past, including the one during Manohar Parrikar's regime, have shown a sense of fatigue in people building up when the system does not deliver.
It's time the government introspects on the Darbars and takes corrective measures. Do not allow disappointment and disillusionment to creep in because if that happens, ministers and their entourage may face no public at Darbars, and the result could be worse. Build bridges with the people only if the intentions are genuine and there is a sense of purpose. Please don't make it a mere formality.
