There is a reason why the examples are geographically localised. The UPA government has for nearly a decade sought to hide its failures in a ghetto of alibis—blaming political resistance in Opposition-ruled states or ministers from parties in alliance. In the case of Mumbai and Maharashtra, however, it can’t hide or run. The Government of India is headed by a Congressman, the Oxbridge-educated economist prime minister. Maharashtra has been headed since 1999 by Congressmen and now by Berkeley-educated Prithviraj Chavan. Yet, nothing moves. It is not just about Mumbai or Maharashtra. Bombay has long been dead and Mumbai is being slowly mummified. The malaise of delays and under-performance is a national affliction. In September 2012, the Planning Commission met to clear the 12th Five-Year Plan and reviewed the UPA government’s performance on critical infrastructure. The findings reflect the magnitude of systemic collapse. In the 11th Five-Year Plan, between 2007 and 2012, the government had promised to build 48,479 km of roads but built only 17,571 km. It was supposed to add 21,500 km of railway lines but added only 14,571 km. The government was supposed to add 78,700 MW of generating capacity but added only 55,000 MW. It was supposed to ensure production of 680 million tonnes of coal per year but India produced only 171 million tonnes. Worse, the country with the third largest coal reserve is now importing coal. Much is being made of the potential of PPP or public-private partnerships. In December 2012, India boasted of over 900 PPP projects of over `5 lakh crore in the infrastructure sector alone. That hasn’t prevented delays and stalling. The embrace of the three-letter acronym has not proven to be necessary (proven by Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro) nor has it been sufficient for success. There is a parade of private partners threatening to walk out, thanks to the sloth in the system that adds to the cost. The truth is that under the watch of Manmohan Singh, who heads the Cabinet Committee of Infrastructure, the system has neither enabled clarity nor expanded capacity. The chasm between promise and performance has only widened. Friday’s announcements simply amplify the cynicism in the system. Spin-doctoring is yet to talk up any economy.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 00:19:03 +0000
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