Committees galore…
In the 54 years of rule of the Dravidian parties, there has been the absence of long-term plans for development. Fiscal policies were limited to budgeting for the year. Even annual budgets were deviated with ad-hoc schemes especially during months of approaching elections. With the DMK and AIADMK alternating to rule, there were more attempts to shelve the schemes approved by one by the other party. Look at the fate of few committees appointed with foresight.
Occasionally there were attempts to look at the longer term. In 1989 the DMK returned to power after 13 years. Chief Minister Karunanidhi entrusted CMDA and the Times Research Foundation to look ahead at Madras 2011, with a 20 year vision. This writer was also part of a team of consultants who presented reports on the Vision 2011. When the DMK government was dismissed and the AIADMK assumed power in the elections in 1991, the reports were archived.
An instance of a self-goal
During 1989-1991, DMK government invited the famous technocrat S V S Raghavan to look at revamping the dozens of public sector undertakings of Tamil Nadu. Raghavan brought with him a formidable reputation as the chairman of BHEL and later as chairman of MMTC and STC. Raghavan commanded the respect of then Prime Minister V P Singh as also the esteem of senior bureaucrats like S Guhan. He managed to produce detailed reports on the reform of the public sector undertakings. One of the major recommendations related to de-nationalisation / privatisation of the state transport corporations.
It was indeed an audacious recommendation: it was Karunanidhi, soon after assuming charge as the state minister of transport in the first DMK ministry (1967-71), who nationalised the road transport system in the state. At that time a number of private, operators like TVS, SRVS and ABT were reputed for running efficient and profitable bus services. By nationalisation the state acquired rich assets for a modest payout.
It is gathered that then Transport Minister (during 1989-91) K Ponmudi was flabbergasted and reportedly protested. The highly evolved Karunanidhi pacified him referring to Raghavan’s stature as a highly respected business leader and appreciated even the rationale of the recommendations, but pointed to the political implications: “Amma is waiting to pounce upon any such reform.”
Of course, the report was archived; this time by the party that set up the committee.
Again during the regime of the DMK during 1996-2001, on the initiative of Murasoli Maran who was then Commerce Minister, Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard was invited to look at needed reforms. Sachs took the help of experts in the state and presented over a dozen reports. These were promptly archived again by Jayalalithaa soon after she assumed power in 2001.
Jayalalithaa’s Vision 2023 for Tamil Nadu again just remained in paper. All ideas on the state emerging numero uno and catching up with standards of Singapore remained as just ideas. Resource constraints, ad-hoc announcements of welfare schemes (eg. Amma Canteens) became the norm of the state’s fiscal management.
So, one will watch the recommendations of the high power panel of renowned economists with a lot of interest; more so of their acceptance and implementation. — SV
