Fortify the last mile of governance : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Fortify the last mile of governance

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao
Telangana Today (25-02-2019)
Connecting Government and People

The Millennium Post, New Delhi (23-02-2019)

(Appointing change agents or public relations consultants at field level will help welfare schemes reach the beneficiaries better)

In a democratic society like India, people have several hopes, purposes, aspirations, ambitions, desires, requirements, passions, problems, needs and so on which is but natural. In addition to these, there are several avenues in the form of schemes and programs created by state and central Governments through which a citizen is benefited.

Against this background, people once in five years, elect the party, which in their view will fulfill their needs. The contesting parties also make promises in the form of election manifestos keeping in view the people’s welfare at large. Voters consider them and choose a particular party and elect to power.

The Government thus elected by them initiates and implements the promises it made in the manifesto. When it is done, people appreciate and admire and laud its efforts. The same party again and again elected to power in the process. Failing which, the same people will wait for five years to search for an alternative.

In the recent past some like-minded political and official personalities in a small conglomeration met and thoroughly discussed these and related issues to have an understanding of democratic functioning. Several who participated in that meet, expressed the opinion that, Chief Minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao, leader of TRS who has been elected to power in the state with millions of aspirations, would continue to administer in the same fashion as was done during the first term by initiating and implementing various welfare and development schemes for the all-round well-being of the people.

Optimum Utilization

But there were different views expressed by the participants, raising doubts about the optimum utilization of schemes by the eligible beneficiaries, despite taking every measure to see to it, that they reach everyone. They feel that, however well envisioned scheme that might be, when it comes to implementation, there could be some technical and other unintentional hitches that might come in the way of implementation. These need to be overcome necessarily.

The Telangana State Government from time to time has come out with number of schemes and programs benefiting millions of people belonging to almost all sections of the society. Thanks to media the information on these schemes are reaching properly to the prospective beneficiary and by and large they are able to access the scheme. Still there may be a gap in their reaching all. However, many keep enquiring about the procedure and process involved in availing the benefit from a couple of schemes.

            For instance the other day a domestic help enquired the process to avail the benefit of two-bed room house. She requested an influenced person to help in getting one allotted on her name. She was told to apply for the same and pat came the reply that no authority accepts the application. When this was enquired with the concerned authorities, it was found that she was right.

It is only when the Collector calls for applications for a particular village in accordance with guidelines specified in a Government Order, applications would be accepted. How many really know about this? Even if they know how do all will be able to apply?

Getting Left Out

            A similar request came from someone else for availing the benefit under Kalyana Lakshmi Scheme. Her doubt was when she should apply and how to apply on-line and things like that. After applying, though in many cases the response from the Government is quick and getting the amount is very well before the marriage, in few cases it takes sufficiently longer time due to technical or other reasons.

Similar cases may be there in overseas scholarship or fee reimbursement or Aasara pension or KCR Kits or regularization of a Sadabainama agreement or a deepam scheme or Rythu Bandhu or Rythu Bhima and so on. It could be even for obtaining various certificates like birth, death, income, cast and so on. Almost all in the society has some work or other with Government time and again. 

            In Telangana more than 20 million (2 Crores) people live in rural areas and the remaining 15 million (1.5 Crores) live in urban areas either in a town or in a city. According to the 2011 census, Telangana's literacy rate is 66.46%. This indicates one third of the people are illiterates and probably even among literates those who can understand the IT linked procedures like on-line application would be less in numbers. In a way they are computer illiterates. Despite various publicity modes to educate people on various schemes many may not be able to know all the details involved in availing a benefit.

            This is exactly where we may need to think of appointing Change Agents or public relations consultants at field level in service of people who will take care of the requirements of prospective beneficiaries in all aspects right from creating awareness to availing benefit of any scheme for which he or she is eligible. This is like an Agriculture Extension Officer for every 5000 acres to guide the farmer.

            Carrying Information

A change agent or the public relations consultant is a person from inside or outside the Government functioning who helps an individual in educating him or her about various aspects of a particular scheme, the procedure involved in applying, the persons whom he or she may have to meet, about various documents that are required to enclose to the application etc. In a way the Change Agent assists from end to end. The change agent plays a role of counsellor, guide, teacher, or researcher, a mediator or as an advocate for the individual on behalf of the government.

An Effective change agent demonstrates extraordinary versatility within a broad skill set. Some time they perform a specialize role to meet the specific need of individual with reference to a scheme. In due course he would be the mentor, facilitator and custodian of every data of the individual under his care. Thus the data bank of every individual citizen of the state could be developed.

At the rate of one Change Agent for every 2000 persons in rural areas and at the rate of one for every 3000 persons in urban areas the Government may recruit (rural 10, 000 and urban 5000 for a population of 2 Crores and 1.5 Crores respectively) 15,000 such Change Agents. At the rate of say some Rs 30-35,000 per month it may cost about Rs 600 Crores per annuum on them which is worthwhile spending.

These Public relations consultants at field level handle the public image of government. The job will involve to make the public aware of news relating to government, schemes in such a way as to create interest and make use of the benefits. This if seen as a feasible and practicable mechanism, the Government may possibly think of putting into practice. This can also help eliminate corruption, if any, in obtaining benefits from the schemes and programs of Government. This could be very well replicated at the National Level too.