Bloated bureaucracy Goa's government has, for many years, been talking about its VRS (voluntary retirement) scheme. "Goa is the first State in the country to introduce such a scheme to its Government employees. The scheme was first opened in the year 2000-01," boasts an official statement. We thought the aim of this entire exercise was "increasing the productivity in Government departments and containing the growth of expenditure on salaries", as it is officially put. But even while the state is paying a huge price to trim its bureaucracy, the number of government staff -- including those surrogately paid by the state -- are swelling in a way that adds even more sharply burdens to the exchequer. This full exercise is becoming a joke on the tax-payer and the citizen as a whole.
Goa's burden on salaries and payments (among the non-plan revenue expenditure) spurted from about Rs 130 crore in 1993-94 to an estimated Rs 463 crore (2002-03). The state has had to pay a heavy price for implementing the Fifth Pay Commission. Pensions jumped from Rs 12.6 crore to Rs 140 crore in the above period, mainly due to the implementation of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (Source: Economic Survey, 2003-04). Nobody would have grudged the need for employing more, had the state government machinery had some modicum of efficiency and service-orientation in their approach. But that is far from the case. Politicians have long seen monopolising government jobs as their due pound of flesh, to reward their kith and kin, friends and family, and political supporters. BJP has taken this to a new high; and fears of injecting communalism in appointments have been repeatedly voiced of late. Government employees' bodies tend to look at their role as one largely of merely defending the interests of their members; and bargaining for more. By lobbying for the case of employees who get in by way of favouritism or corruption, the unions get permanency for them while unwittingly levy a heavy tax on average citizen, including the poor who pays a heavy price for keeping the state going. Government staff associations have meanwhile worked out a good arrangement with various governments, more so the current one, leaving the state's and taxpayer's interest to the devil. A government job has come to be seen as little more than a picnic-till-retirement, if not the chance to earn illegally on the side. There are still many a honest government employee; but the demoralisation has set in sharply. The Parrikar government has grandiloquently promised "freedom from unemployment by 2005". Even as the flow of industry to Goa dries up to a trickle, and the fear of self-employment largely continues in a market known for a multiplicity of inefficiencies and poor business connectivity, the government obviously looks at creating more government jobs (and crypto-government jobs) as a major part of its strategy. One year back, the state government promised "25,000 additional sources of livelihood to be created in the next three years (and) 10,000 in the next year" (Source: "Highlights of the Budget 2003-04). Apart from packing in the politically select in government departments, and handing out kiosks in crowded public space surreptitiously privatised in lieu of anticipated political support, there is little evidence of this happening. Now, the government tells us that state coffers will have to pay more salaries each month. This year's Budget itself spoke of creating 600 new "employment opportunities", and offering a 'separation fund' for anganwadi workers by way of VRS benefits. The government is talking of appointing an 'auxiliary force' -- offering part-time employment for 1500 "less educated" youth. When the CM described his plans he spoke of youth who are "incapable of doing just about anything". While their plight can be well understood, should the state government be converted into one massive orphanage for helpless adults? "Lack of staff" is often used as an alibi for inefficiency in management; all mismanaged units, particularly government, use this excuse. We really can't afford such profligacy. ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
