A new era begins… after 4 years of misrule

Karnataka is all set to step into a new era after four years of poor governance, divisive politics and scams and scandals with a Congress government on the threshold of assuming power in the southern state.

With the overwhelming mandate that the Grand Old Party has received, there is no reason to doubt the longevity of the next government or its ability to carry through the many promises it announced in the run-up to the polls. Now that the question of who will lead the new government has been resolved amicably at Sunday’s meeting of newly-elected legislators, one can look forward to a period of transition from the suffocating atmosphere that prevailed because of the policies adopted by the previous regime.

There is a long list of issues that the new dispensation will have to address on a war footing; the South-West Monsoon will hit the state in three weeks from now and considering the disastrous impact of the deluge last year, urgent measures will have to be taken to minimise the damage. Bengalureans, who bore the brunt of the rains in 2022, will be hoping that they do not have to grapple with flooded underpasses, marooned residential areas, broken roads and choc-a-bloc traffic once the rains start.

The continual harping on sensitive religious issues has led to an uneasy calm among different communities in the state and this is something that the government will have to resolve to restore amity and harmony among people of different faiths. Development happens only in an atmosphere of peace and those assuming power will have to build on these ties, so that the secular fabric of the state is preserved.

There are many economic problems to greet the government – for instance, there are hiccups in the IT industry over falling business and profits because of the global slowdown and diminishing spend on digitisation efforts.

There are reports that concerned over the infrastructure woes in the IT City, many big names in the industrial sector are considering shifting shop to more attractive destinations. A concerted effort is needed to retain them and give a fillip to industrial activity, so that job generation gets back on track.

The Congress government will also have to be on its guard against corruption in various government departments – we shouldn’t forget that the 40 per cent commission charge hurled by Congress leaders at the previous government struck a chord with the electorate, making them reject the BJP. Those taking over governance will have to start on a clean slate and make sure that they do not fall prey to the same old corrupt tendencies that spelt doom for the earlier administration. The ‘Commission Raj’ will have to be given a burial and those famous words inscribed on Vidhana Soudha that ‘Government work is God’s work’ will have to be adhered to in letter and spirit.

There is distress and dire poverty in both rural and urban places and comprehensive and well-thought out schemes will have to be implemented to restore the smile on faces of the deprived. Honest efforts should be made to implement schemes the Congress party had announced in its manifesto, including doles for the unemployed and women, free travel for women in buses, free power and food grain supply. Subsidised schemes like Indira Canteens that were neglected during the BJP rule, will have to be restored to their original glory.

The government will also have to ensure a working relationship with the BJP-ruled central government, so that the state does not suffer due to lack of funds to implement its schemes. But most important of all, it will have to get Karnataka back on the growth path, infuse confidence among its many communities and formulate a vision of the road forward, so that peace and prosperity prevail.