Out of excuses

Now that the cabinet has also been rejigged,UPA must get down to work. PM must set the pace

Now that the cabinet has also been rejigged,UPA must get down to work. PM must set the pace

The cabinet reshuffle is over,and as in the past,the same set of UPA veterans jogged around the same set of chairs. P. Chidambaram has made it back to his old spot in the finance ministry,and Sushilkumar Shinde has been rewarded with the home ministry after the massive power crisis on his watch. It could be argued that the government had a limited set of available options. But this much is clear: now that the UPA has exhausted its last option of signalling transformation by shuffling its pack,which it has done,or by bringing in new leaders,which it hasnt,it will be judged squarely on what it does. The prime minister must acknowledge and own this responsibility,and direct his government to move in the manner he chooses. Handwringing about the international economic climate,or blaming coalition partners at home,wont cut it any longer as an excuse for policy lethargy or an alibi. The problems have all been diagnosed. Now the government must simply hunker down and apply itself to the solutions.

This is also the beginning of a rare political lull. Critical assembly elections are over and the next set is still several months away,the presidential battle has been won,problematic allies have been bested. The UPAs standard pose waiting for some imagined perfect set of circumstances to unleash its big reforms is no longer tenable. By now,it is also obvious that the UPA does not have the initiative,energy or desire to push any radical reform. However,the least it can provide is day-to-day housekeeping ensure that trains run safely,provide assured power and water,reasonably maintain infrastructure,try to make sure that its ineptitude does not interfere with the hum of private enterprise and the lives of citizens.

Routine decisions are being held up,even in areas where political opposition is not an issue,where all the ministry or regulator has to do is carry out its stated mandate. For instance,underlying the dramatic blackouts over much of north India because of the collapse of the northern and eastern grids was this larger failure to carry out essential operational tasks. Many power projects have stalled because of fuel supply shortages,and others indefinitely await environment clearances. These are clearly signs of a more serious breakdown in functioning,one that the UPA must now urgently address itself to.