It is said that Harish Rawat, the Chief Minister of Uttarakahnd, has a mass appeal that can be compared to that of the veteran ND Tiwari commands. The party milked it to win a string of elections after its severe drubbing during the lok Sabha polls. However, now, it seems that the CM whose tenure is running into a little over six months has ended up messing over certain matters on the administrative front.
Given his familiarity with the functioning of the administrative machinery in the State, issues like ongoing indefinite strike spearheaded by the ministerial employees across the State was not expected to prolong for nearly two months, paralysing the public delivery system. Whether due to electoral compulsions or otherwise, the State Government kept on dithering with the stir dragging on for days. Such strikes being convened at the drop of a hat by the employees has become almost a routine affair in the State now.
Intervention by the court recently into this aforesaid matter, directing the State Government to strictly deal with the striking employees bears testimony to this fact. Though the State Government has now shown desire to break the stalemate the ‘poor’ handling of the matter so long has poorly reflected on the State Government’s adroitness regarding what is called the art of administration.
The ministerial employees’ agitation at the collectorate across the State has landed the common people in problem because they have not been able to get many of their basic services problems, including those related to revenue, solved. Although Rawat appealed to the strikers to end their agitation in the interest of the people of Uttarakhand the gesture has not succeeded in thawing things.
The matter is that whether it is the ongoing ministerial employees’ agitation or the matters related to transfer of teachers and doctors or other employees to the hill areas from the plains, the State Government has not yet been able to take these issues to their logical conclusion. Chief Minister Rawat who once hinted at taking some tough decisions in the larger public interests has not done anything that could make a difference.
His political compulsions are understandable, but the Chief Minister who took necessary steps to fortify his position within the State Government as well as the party, sidelining many of his political adversaries in the process, also needs to take some tough decisions in the large public interests on the administrative front, the observers said.