GOVERNMENT SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS - PERSPECTIVE

Government Service Delivery Systems Perspective 

                                                            B G Reddy- 9866889246/grbonthu@gmail.com

Recently, Eenadu (Leading Telugu Daily) enlightened the readers by highlighting the micro level  situation in revenue and health care in Telangana. I am sure this will be case or even worse in many other states.

IIM, Ahmedabad- Study on Live Stock Services Delivery:

It reminds of a study conducted by IIM, Ahmedabad 15 years back on livestock services delivery in the country. In states like Karnataka, TN, Gujarat, Maharashtra  about 20%, in states like AP, Rajasthan, Haryana about 10 % and  in states like UP, Bihar, MP about 0 to 5% of the allocated budget was spent on actual services and balance was establishment. Irrespective of caste or creed, people who have voice get free medicines that too for a very short period. As there are no user charges, veterinarians developed a feeling that people are obliged to them. For home calls, farmers pay in kind, mostly Agri produce like Groundnuts,  Grams, Jaggerry and still feel obligated. Across the country, the coverage, manpower, services delivery are average to poor. The recommendations include Government focus in remote areas, PPP model with free services to poor in better assess areas, nominal user charges to bring in accountability and restructuring of the operations. Progressive thinking CMs like CBN made attempts to bring in structural adjustments.

Reflections on AH Department in AP (Erstwhile)

As I was involved in mission with AP state AH Department at that point of time, it got my attention. With the deep involvement of then Principal Secretary (AH), the existing institutional mapping was completed. It was observed that in urban areas all sanctioned posts gets filled, whether there is a need or not ( for example in Madhapur area there is a AH Centre sanctioned when it was a village, now it is changed as High-Tec, still the posts continue) and vice versa in case of remote and needy areas. The distribution of institutions were skewed and areas with better access and heavy political clout have huge presence, as against remote areas and areas with weak leadership.

During this period state government sanctioned few new institutions and I keenly observed the proceedings. It is minimum expected from Joint Director-AH of a district to do institutional mapping, identify the most needy areas , make proposals, submit them to district collector and get them sanctioned and then involve local ministers, public representatives to give them the required visibility. Instead he approached the better placed minister first, apprised him with program and committed majority institutions  in his constituency and the balance for another  minister. What can Collector do, even if he wants to do social justice?

I am sure this may be the case across the country? How long country can bear these inefficiencies? How can we find solutions without deeply getting into gross root problems?

AH Institutions Functioning:

Animal Husbandry department functioning revealed that major time & effort goes for their own establishment like transfers, promotions, pensions, Medical bills etc, Assembly/Parliament questions, CM/Minister/other programs, review meetings and service delivery is lost in priority. Starting from Director to VAS at field level will be on toss, leaving all the works,  to  make a note or presentation for a CM/Minister/Secretary review meeting. One will be surprised to know that despite having separate MIS/ Statistics department, the data base is not upto date and every meeting note is a new beginning.  

I happened to visit some of the field institutions in Adilabad Dist (erstwhile AP) along with Principal Secretary and Director AH in the year 2000-01. A random check by picking up the names from Artificial Insemination (AI) & Healthcare registers, revealed that about 40 to 50% entries are fake.  Once AI figures are escalated, the same continue with conception rate, calf births etc. After 12 years, when I was interacting with a senior officer in department, it was revealed that the similar practices are being continued even now. As the Semen straws are accountable @ Rs.20/- each, the amount is being paid and straws are destroyed, thereby the potential progeny is lost.

It is also observed that about 20 to 30% time is spent on service delivery and the programs like Janmabhoomi started with a purpose of creating awareness, bring in accountability lost its purpose and became mere service delivery outlets, diluting the institutional frame work.   

Situation Analysis

The interactions revealed that the situation is more or less same everywhere, resulting in poor to very poor service delivery. Sharing with a senior officer in GOI revealed that though there is not much of Ministry/Secretariat interference, still about 50% of time is being wasted on unnecessary reports & information gathering. The attempts made to bring in positive changes met with very little success and felt that the system needs to be revamped completely. 

The stake holders in Government are well aware of the micro level issues and problems. Still very few try to make attempts to address the same and many keep their ears and eyes away from the reality for reasons best known to them. Populist Governments are fearing to touch the issue, as it is deep rooted in system and have apprehensions that the results may not be visible in their tenure of five years. We can understand the concern of populist Government though it is not genuine.

Why the administrative system having no time frames or no limitations, are shying away from the responsibilities vested with them through constitution?  There is need for deliberations at National, State levels involving starting from President of India, PM & all important stake holders to strengthen the hands of administration. Without improving the field level delivery systems, whatever innovative programs the Governments bring in will seldom reach right target group.

The readers may feel that there is nothing new in the facts presented above and many might have had much bigger experiences. One has to understand that the solution lies within the problem and the problem is our own creation and solutions.

Famous quote of Rajiv Gandhi on Delivery Systems:

When it comes to inefficiencies in  delivery systems , even today the popular statement of Late Rajiv Gandhi  made at Kalahandi, Orissa in 1985 " ONLY 17 PAISE OUT OF EVERY RUPEE INTENDED TO REACH COMMON MAN IS REACHING THEM" is being frequently quoted for wrong reasons even after 30 years. Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in 2009 quoted a panel study on PDS, revealing that only 16 paise out of a rupee   was reaching the targeted poor, reflecting a huge indictment of the delivery system in welfare schemes. Between 1985-2015, at some point of time all major political parties were in power at GOI. What have they done to improve efficiency in delivery systems to improve the reach from 17 paise to a decent level? Certainly all political parties are to be blamed for the present poor delivery systems. Is it not the shame on everyone of us to recall RG quote on delivery systems even after 30 years. RTI, Social audit etc are expected to capture these leakages , but proved to be successful on very limited scale. An important functionary from GOI expressed that the need to address the leakages is serious for fighting poverty,  as much as it is to tackle naxalisam.

Recommendations:

The existing system has to be completely re-looked and leak proof system with "Bottom Up " approach with no scope for personal interventions is the immediate requirement. Private partnerships without compromising on welfare of poor is to be explored. Usage of UID, Bio metrics,  appropriate systems and software shall definitely reduce leakages and improve delivery system efficiencies. 

Without committed human resources, no systems will be effective. All the stake holders have to pay their roles appropriately by using the management principle " TRUST BUT VERIFY". This approach will bring in inbuilt checks and measures, so that individuals with evil designs will fear the system.  The platonic  prescription or for that matter "Geetopadesa" recommended that the Governments shall be manned by people ingrained with detached wisdom. In a democracy it is the self rule that perpetuates itself. So one why is to convert entire population. Is it possible?

The most practical method is decentralise the Government, such that it becomes impractical for anybody to misuse/abuse the trust reposed on them by public. Notwithstanding  the general perception about local body Governance, it is just impossible for them to abuse their powers like the central or state ministers do. It is revealing to note that the local bodies control mere 3% resources as against 49 % & 48 % by the state and central Governments respectively.

GOVERNMENTS HAVE TO REALISE THAT WITHOUT ADDRESSING THE MICRO LEVEL ISSUES WITH COMBINATION OF ABOVE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE DELIVERY SYSTEMS WILL NOT IMPROVE AND MAJOR CHUNK OF WELFARE WILL REACH DRAINS OF SELECTED FEW.

B Guruva Reddy

# Special thanks to VNR & CR for their valuable contributions in writing this article.