The Hindu : Karnataka News : `Development of infrastructure ignored'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 28, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

`Development of infrastructure ignored'

Nagesh Prabhu

`The Government is neither pro-urban nor pro-rural. It finds itself between two stools'

BANGALORE: Intellectuals, political theorists and agricultural scientists are of the view that the coalition Government in the State has focussed on clinging to power than on implementing the Common Minimum Programme (CMP).

The Government came in for flak for the neglect of Bangalore city, which lacks adequate infrastructure. There is a feeling that Bangalore, which is emerging as a global hub for science and technology, has been given a raw deal by the Government.

`No attention'

Bangalore, which contributes about 50 per cent of the State Gross Domestic Product (SGDP), has been facing severe problems owing to shortage of power and drinking water and bad roads, but there is no talk at the Government level about addressing these bottlenecks, said M.V. Rajeev Gowda, Associate Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and Muzaffar Assadi, Professor of Political Science, University of Mysore.

Factors such as initial time lag, the failure of the coalition partners to establish good relations at the party level and claims and counter-claims on implementation of the CMP have impeded the execution of development works. "The Government is neither pro-urban nor pro-rural. It finds itself between two stools," said P.S. Jayaramu, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science, Bangalore University.

The Government, Dr. Jayaramu said, is moving very slowly because of its lack of experience in running a coalition and extra-constitutional interference in the Government by the former Prime Minister and JD(S) president, H.D. Deve Gowda, and the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi. However, the decision to ban online lottery, distribution of foodgrains at Rs. 3 a kg and presentation of a surplus budget are commendable, Dr. Jayaramu said.

L.C. Jain, former member of the Planning Commission, criticised the Government for its failure to ensure minimum wages for rural people. It is a breach of faith on the part of the Government. However, he appreciated Mr. Dharam Singh for holding elections to the gram panchayats.

Dr. Gowda, Prof. Assadi and Dr. Jayaramu said the Government's indecision on the issue of admission of students to professional courses and the naxalite problem has drawn flak from the public. The naxalite problem is a daunting challenge, they said.

R.S. Deshpande of the Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore, is of the view that one year is not long enough to judge the performance of the coalition Government. The initial teething problems in the political arena as well as getting to grips with the situation takes more than a year and lot of nerve. On that count, the Government has done an excellent job of keeping the warring partners and the splinter groups in the two parties at bay.

The farmers also seem to be quite happy with the handling of the situation in rural areas. However, the situation is not the same in the industrial and infrastructure sector. This Government seems to have taken industry and infrastructure more lightly than advisable for the growth of the State economy. The tardy progress in infrastructure development may cost the State dearly, he said.

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