CNG culture
Why the fare meters have been installed? Is our governance imitating the "CNG culture"? Too much gas (or gassing) around, and nothing solid out of it (unless foreign investors like the Tata group can show us how to run big enterprises!).
The other side of the coin is: change over to honest 'CNG governance'. It means reduced systems losses, and less political noise and pollution. But all public offices must be fitted with 'monitoring meters' so that the public can watch the readings all the time. The citizens have become politically deaf with the very high noise level of our politics. The mighty opposition leads in this respect!
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Interesting proposal: impose value added tax (VAT) on the use of microphones, as more so for use of the PA system at political meetings; the rate rising exponentially after every 15 minutes. The income would be huge! The freedom of speech is not being tampered withno restriction on the time-limit or contents (subject to constitutional boundaries). There is enough black money in circulation. The goal is to practise economy in life.
What is the pace of the public offices? It is presumed that it is at the pedal cycle rickshaw speed! And the latter is banned from the main roads in Dhaka! Is it not an anti-people move, when a survey indicated that 20 per cent of the mega city's residents travel by rickshaws, compared to 10pc by bus? Reported unofficial plying of about 400,000 rickshaws in Dhaka is a huge business by any standard, and it cannot be dismissed lightly by the elected government.
Outside the capital city, the speed of governance is at country boat speed (paddle and sail, no engine). In tune with tradition! Then where are the development efforts, specially in speeding up official transactions? One cynical message is coming through; You get busy with day work, while we indulge in vulgar politics! Too many political hajis (pilgrims) around.
If the CNG principle is not acceptable, there is an alternative: go for mass LPG movement, with mini cylinders in every village homestead. It is a big project.