Let me first tell you that I have no questions or doubts over
credibility of AK. However I do have some doubts over his integrity since he formed a govt with Congress support. But those are still doubts and he can
be given the benefit of it. However, what I don’t support in AK is his
competence to run a government. Yes, I may end up facing lots of criticism for
this but let me try to provide a rational explanation behind the statement. I
know when a person is blindfolded by passion, rationality goes out of the
window. I have been there during Anna movement.
Let us now try to think how a competent and rational person
would behave once he attains office. In ideal ways, the person would first take
stock of situation on every aspect. Right from the present budget, deficits,
revenues, receivables, burn rate etc etc. All in all a detailed financials of
the state. However, what AK did was to announce two subsidies. One in
electricity and other in water. Both being an example of how immature he is.
In fact the announcements came as if he is trying to make a record
of fulfilling manifesto promises. That seat is not provided to him to create
records but to govern a state. Anyways, let me tell you why both the decisions
are not wise from the process point of view.
For electricity, he did quick calculations to tell that how
much it will cost the government for the last quarter of this Financial year.
However, he failed to answer that how government would fund it. He has not even
taken a stock of the present status of Delhi’s budget for this financial year.
He has no answer yet that which departments budget he plans to cut to supply
funds for this subsidy. This is a gross mistake because eventually it may be
revealed that the real cost of production and distribution itself is higher
because there is lot of power theft in Delhi. I am telling this from my own
experience. What instead he should have done much before declaring subsidy, is
to curb that aspect. Minimizes losses and overheads and then recalculate the
actual cost. One has to remember that to supply earth to one place, one has to dig another.
Now take the case of Water. He gave free water and that too
with a cap. Now let me explain how the cap part is more harmful. Remember the days
when all the LPG cylinders were subsidized? Black marketing used to happen but
the customers of this black market were only those who did not have connection. Those who had connection were victimized by the delays only. But now by putting the cap, the customers of black market include people who have
connection. On my connection I have three unknown bookings and deliveries which
I have no idea about. This is the real example. In fact Bharat gas gives a transparency
portal to check your number of connections. Do check and you may realize even you
are a victim. Well, I am taking this matter with the gas agency now and will
have to spend time and efforts towards it. But coming back to water. Now
instead of tanker mafia, get ready to welcome plumbing mafia. Who will give you
ten different ways to bypass/speed down the meter.
Also another fact is that the water subsidies will be
towards the people who have connections. So there is nothing for the people who
still rely on tanker mafia. So the rich (or who have access to FB / twitter) have got the relief and poor still face
the shortage.
Now that the Delhi is in his hands (at least six months
before which even a no-confidence motion cannot be placed), shouldn’t the party
focus on the state and prove its competence by running it for at least one
budget year? Why is so much of an urgency to recruit fresher and place them in
Lok Sabha? This brings doubts towards their integrity.
