The Best Plans and Advice Are Proposed by Outside, External Advisors

In the race to build a vibrant India, one must not be taken in by feelings of delusion or grandeur. Let us always remember that even now half of India’s population does not have access to housing, decent food, employment, education, etc. While making policies and plans, we must deliberately keep this other half on a priority and in focus. It is a given fact worldwide that the best advice and plans are proposed by outside, external advisors who are not within the system and who can see the macro view in context and can give objective, unbiased and fearless advise. But this advice has to be vetted by the people in the government who are in touch with the ground realities and the pros and cons of implementing a policy. 

In this context, one must assiduously remember that making mega, grand plans may not benefit the party or the country in the long run but would benefit only those propounding these plans. Instead of focusing on 4-5 mega campaigns which will take 4-5 years or perhaps 10-15 years to fructify, Modiji must focus on 5-6 plans spread across the country every year which can be completed in 3-6 months’ time. People want to know that the government is doing and achieving some work only then will it vote it back to power again. If the BJP wants to return to power in 2019, then it should focus on short projects which can be completed within a short span of time and these achievements must be brought to the notice of the public every 2-3 months. Further, those plans which are meritorious, beneficial to the masses and have been started by the previous government should also be given a fillip and they should not be wound up or ignored.

CLEAN INDIA CAMPAIGN: Started with much fanfare, Modiji wielded the broom once, appointed his ambassadors to take the job forward and then invoked God and the Indian people to take this clean drive forward. India’s public spaces are filthy and dirty and this is surprising given that we keep our personal homes and property immaculately clean. In order to ensure that the goal of making India a clean country in 5 years’ time is achieved, Modiji, his team of central ministers and senior officers, state leaders and officials must wield the broom once every 2 weeks for the next 5 years and go to the most filthiest places in India (and there is no dearth of them) and clean them regularly and thus keep the campaign alive and kicking. The momentum has to be continuously maintained if this campaign must succeed.

DIGITAL INDIA CAMPAIGN: Laudable indeed, but highly unlikely to succeed in a relevant time frame given the scale and magnitude. We should break this campaign in manageable bits and pieces. Instead of making a swathing statement like the entire country will go digital, we should instead focus on 3-4 districts in each state, 4-5 towns within each state and 15-20 villages within each selected district. These districts, towns and villages must be chosen on the basis of their importance and relevance. International bodies like the World Bank, UNESCO, state government organisations, private corporations must be part of this initiate. Key families and institutions within these districts and villages must also be a part of the stakeholder fraternity.

HOUSING FOR ALL BY 2022: Very enthusing to know that but will it be possible? One reason is because housing is so expensive is because of the cost of land. First suitable amendments in law with respect to housing must be made so that land rates come down. Second those (lower to middle class) for whom housing is being proposed must be made stakeholders with respect to some element of financial commitment. Possession and delivery of housing units to these recipients must be linked to their payment of a minimum amount of down payment and instalment, otherwise the exchequer will go bankrupt. The government should look at options like financing from FDI, overseas investors, private investors within home, new technologies like prefabricated homes, etc.