Piped water

The government may not do this business but supervise the private sector, to encourage the latter to pay attention to further business opportunities in the rural areas, such as installation of solar lighting kits at homes and institutions, with option for HP (hire-purchase) with the cooperation of banks and financial agencies. Mobile dispensaries and libraries are some other areas of business.

There is no lack of markets catering to 130 million consumers. The secret is provision of official facilities (as the handloom textile exporters are demanding).

In the urban areas, there is another racket (DS April 17)-- illegal use of water pumps to draw unauthorised excess water from WASA piped network, starving the small homes and users. In the flat I am living in Mohammadpur, there is no running water for 24 hours, as the overhead tank of the building (one owner) cannot be filled up as the WASA supply runs out after twenty minutes of pumping; whereas 24-hour running water was available a few years ago. On either side of our house, there are large new buildings needing a lot of water).

When the rate of development is fast, the demand and supply equation is changing all the time, and the staid civil service is not equipped to handle such non-routine pressure. But the administrative reforms are still lingering decade after decade. The regime (any regime at any time) has to be pushy in the right way.

The point is simple, the daily operation and maintenance (O&M) is neglected, and illegal means are employed for self-profit (no prosecution due to graft).

The society has broken down, the story is similar in all sectors of public service. The regime has to look for ways of providing efficient services which operate in the background, and not beat the drum too much on new projects. It appears the senior officials are reluctant to pull up the subordinate staff; and the private sectors big guns get away after violating rules and regulations (land-grabbing, for example).

The problem is deeper than the classical enmity between the two major political parties. Only the political masters can solve it.