A big challenge before government

K.K. Sen

(kanusen316@gmail.com)

A big salute to the hectic leadership of the BJP-led NDA government for consecutive three terms of victory! In this context, the need of the hour is to make an analysis of the achievement gained so far and principles accomplished according to mandate. The major focus of our development needs to be based on promoting women’s rights with an emphasis on women’s empowerment and care of children of future generations. Women’s empowerment has become a part of the global movement and is continuing to break new ground in recent years. Gender budgeting is a powerful tool to bring women into the mainstream so as to ensure that the benefits of development percolate to women. Over the last decade, the allocation for women as a proportion of the total budget remained constant at only 5.5%. However, a positive trend emerges over the past couple of years in gender budgeting, aiming at the priority of women’s needs in the budget-making process.

The biggest challenge before the government is to control the menace of flooding significantly. The state of Assam is bestowed with the blessing of monsoons but devastative floods and soil erosion, which are so rampant that these jeopardise the development, which is unlike the floods that occurred by the Nile and Tigris Euphrates rivers, which could nourish the dawn of human civilization. So, the call of the hour is to save the state from the fury of floods through proper planning and by way of strengthening the embankment network, improving the drainage system, controlling deforestation, etc. The study of the flood management system in other countries may also lead to solving the problem. The Netherlands has one of the best flood control systems in the world, as they have taken the measure through the construction of dykes and followed delta programming through the construction of channels in different pockets to divert flood water, etc. So, our country may also learn a lesson from them. Unfortunately, the recurring flood continues to expose our lack of preparedness as we fail to search for a permanent solution for the twin menace of flood sand erosion. It is regrettable that despite Assam being a perennially flood-prone state, our preparedness level remains abysmal. A speedy responsive mechanism in the form of a stringent quality control mechanism is a dire need simultaneously. Along with the government’s initiative, public participation should also be ensured. People need to be conscious when throwing debris here and there indiscriminately, as this creates waterlogging. A meticulous plan along with people’s awareness is necessary to address the issue. Innovative measures at the local level by constructing buildings on elevated platforms and draining rainwater through proper outlets may be a long-term strategy in solving the problem of artificial flooding in their neighbourhood. Rampant encroachment in the river basin, widespread deforestation, abnormal rising of the riverbed, and frequent shifting of river courses have added to the problem of flooding in a destructive dimension. The activities of local bodies need to be geared up as the problems of cleaning drainage, dumping of garbage, and water logging have not yet been solved to a desired extent. The proposal of the Union Home Minister for the construction of large ponds throughout the north-eastern region for draining out the excess water of the Brahmaputra may also be accepted to mitigate the ever-increasing fury of floods.

The issue of pathetic road condition along with potholes here and there has become a serious problem nowadays. The departments associated with road development must be sincere enough to repair the damage in a sustainable manner. Many roads in the metropolitan city are not yet gravelled with care, allowing these to be repaired or renovated repeatedly. So the department concerned must extend their dedicated effort to address the issues. Nowadays, instead of appreciating the noble deeds of ruling parties, criticising them has become a common phenomenon. Though many activities are yet to be accomplished, the noble gestures like successive construction of flyovers across the city that have eliminated traffic jams need to be cherished. The proposed four-lane from Kaliabor to Numuligarh with a total length of 85.68 km, including an elevated corridor of 35 km in Kaziranga with multiple lanes, may allow faster moving traffic to pass lower vehicles safely. The 11th flyover proposed to be constructed connecting Dighalipukhuri with Bamunimaydan of Guwahati, being Assam’s longest flyover, will be a great achievement in the success story of the government. It is also very remarkable that over the last six years the surface road length in Assam has increased by 80%. The transport network has also expanded, covering interstate long-distance services and accommodating high-tech luxury buses in cities and rural areas. The initiative for launching a project to transform the quality of inland water services with the financial assistance of the World Bank is also remarkable. The mandate on developing power distribution systems is also a big challenge, as the energy requirement in the state is 11460 MU, against which the availability is 11459 MU, with a shortage of only 1 MU.

The achievement of the government in the health sector is also much encouraging, as the medical college in the state is equipped with efficient health personnel and sophisticated instruments to meet the growing needs of the entire North Eastern region. The initiative to establish 5 medical colleges in Golaghat, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, and Tamulpur is also remarkable. The opening of a centre of AIIMS with the active support of the Government of India will give a major impetus to the medical facilities across the state. Health care performance in Assam exhibits sustained performance over the years. The state government, along with the National Health Mission, has taken up various schemes to strengthen existing health facilities and reduce IMR, MMR, and CBR.

The estimate of state domestic product reveals that the extent of economic development of the state has grown up, depicting a growth of nominal GSDP at current prices for 2023–24 over the preceding year by 15.6% in the state. According to the World Economic Outlook 2023 by the IMF and World Bank, India is the fifth largest economy in the world with a share of 3.5% contribution in the global economy. It is also very encouraging to note that the real economic growth of Assam at constant prices is projected to be achieved at 7.9 percent in 2022–23 as compared to 7.2% at all India levels, which reflects a satisfactory performance of the government over the years.