Chief Minister Adiyanath faces challenges as he goes along. He cannot afford to fail
Something unexpected happened on Tuesday when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a meeting of of Ministers just before an official Cabinet meeting. The Cabinet meet was scheduled for 6 pm but the Ministers’ deliberation was unscheduled and continued for almost an hour. What transpired behind the closed doors is important because it reflects the commitment of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government to deliver. The Chief Minister donned the role of a strict headmaster, asking Ministers to improve the delivery system of their respective departments. Sending out a terse message in his characteristic style, he asked the Ministers to stay away from corruption and to not meddle in transfers and postings. He even asked Ministers to not make announcements and take unnecessary decisions like allocating a separate lane for MPs and legislators at toll plazas.
The Government withdrew this decision only after facing embarrassment, because the separate lane move was in contravention of the BJP’s commitment to do away with VIP culture, which the Centre has demonstrated by banning red and blue beacon lights. The class Yogi took could be linked to his visit to New Delhi. On Tuesday afternoon, he had returned from the national capital after attending the swearing-in ceremony of President Ram Nath Kovind. Yogi was in Delhi for two days, and he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. It is believed that the Prime Minister must have given him a feedback on the performance of the State Government, which he got from party MPs. last week, the Prime Minister had called a meeting of BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh, where the altter complained about the widening gap between promises and delivery of projects. The Chief Minister, in his around an hour-long class, asked Ministers to close that gap. He stressed on living up to the expectations of the people. A few days back, Yogi had blasted the bureaucracy, saying it must not disrupt the implementation of developmental schemes.
This is a welcome change. In the last two decades, Uttar Pradesh had been plagued by mismanagement. Caste and nepotism got the better of governance, which resulted in an increase in corruption. Development had taken a back seat. In the melee, law and order situation became the biggest casualty. The Comptroller and auditor-General’s report tabled in the State Assembly is an eye-opener. The report says that in last five years, crime increased dramatically. Hardened criminals had called the shots, which has affected the lives of the common citizens. In this scenario, the Chief Minister’s holding the rein in his hands and taking up cudgels to restore law of the land, is commendable. The challenge is not easy but also not insurmountable. The Government needs to show its political will and the Chief Minister has to lead from the front — which, admittedly, he is trying to. He must deliver on his promise to create an uttam pradesh.