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Deft PM Narendra Modi and his scheme of things

The official plan to prune the scope of MGNREGA points in that direction

It will be a mistake to regard Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Diwali Milan” tea party for the ruling coalition MPs last Sunday as being of routine, networking, significance even if those in the NDA gathering failed to see its true import.

Consummate communicator that he is, the Prime Minister knows only too well that the message must reach the ground that he alone and this is important in his scheme of things is thinking of the welfare of ordinary folk in the country and is the progenitor of welfare schemes meant to be of use for them.

In this connection, three programmes are being privileged out of the dozens that are dovetailed as part of existing schemes of various ministries the Jana Dhan Yojna (which the PM had spoken of on Independence Day), Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (under which MPs are to select model village in their constituencies), and the Swachchh Bharat Abhiyaan.

The outcomes in all three cases remain unclear but their symbolic value remains high, what with the Prime Minister’s presentation style. The selling point of these schemes, and others, is that this government is pro-poor in its approach.

Many may question this if they thought about the issue seriously. The official plan to prune the scope of MGNREGA points in that direction. But what matters is the message Prime Minister Modi is keen to get across with the help of ruling coalition MPs.

Seen in contrast with this, the previous UPA regime had been a signal failure. Scheme after scheme MGNREGA, RTI, Right to Food, Right to Education had been left to the tender mercies of the minor bureaucracy and contractors, with very little political input at the point of delivery.

As such, outcomes were unpredictable, and often of doubtful value, especially in states with a glaring governance deficit. In many cases, non-Congress state governments tried to grab credit for these programmes.

Mr Modi is only too aware of pitfalls such as these and would like NDA allies to take ownership of the programmes, especially in the last mile. This is the real significance of the message the PM imparted to them over tea.

In this connection it is necessary to recall an earlier message of the PM to BJP MPs wherein it had been made clear that on-the-ground implementation of Central plans should also secure the approval of the various satellite bodies of the RSS if the report card of a BJP MP was to be considered favourably by the PM.

There can be little doubt that BJP’s RSS underpinning is central to Mr Modi’s scheme of things. Implementation of Parliament-endorsed schemes through the agency of politicians is a good idea and Mr Modi shows he has understood the point.

( Source : dc )
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