You Need A Clear Mandate

To be REALLY honest, I am not an expert on infrastructure, though I know the railways and the metro somewhat. And in these areas, I can see ...

To be REALLY honest, I am not an expert on infrastructure, though I know the railways and the metro somewhat. And in these areas, I can see the changes clearly.

When we started building the Delhi Metro, everybody was against the idea; very senior people in government called it a white elephant, among other things. Of course, some of these were genuine fears as people remembered the disruptions in Kolkata. But there was also genuine ignorance about how a modern metro rail network is constructed.

There8217;s now a remarkable change in people8217;s attitude. They have accepted the way we have implemented the metro system. Bottomline: we delivered, and it works. The near stampede on Day One, when the metro inaugurated in Delhi, shows how perceptions have changed to 8220;reliable, dependable, safe8221;. And since then expectations have only got higher; today in Delhi, when we re-pave roads, we are told that we have done a better job than the local authorities.

The country is not waking up to this need. The recent floods in Mumbai would never have happened if the decision-makers were sensitive to the needs of infrastructure. Our cities are perennially short of power and water. Why, there are open drains carrying sewage even where I live in Delhi.

So, if we have to improve lifestyles, basic infrastructure8212;drainage, sewage, water supply, electricity, housing8212;must improve. We need to embark on infrastructure upgrades in military fashion, if our cities are to remain liveable in 10 years8217; time. There8217;s a tendency to cite funds shortages to put off necessary work. We need a complete change in our outlook, an overhaul of our huge organisational structures. All government revenues go towards paying salaries, when we need to invest in science and technology. Why can8217;t our planners think?

Let me give you some examples. Look at Mumbai. It8217;s supposedly India8217;s commercial capital, but look at its slums. Thank the politicians for that. Delhi is better off, but why was there such a huge fuss over the proposed power tariff hikes? I am sure consumers would not have opposed the increase so vociferously if service was up to the mark.

Citizens will not be able to empower themselves. Empower the experts so that they are able to achieve results. Make people accountable. Political support is crucial, as running an administration is not like going to Parliament. Politicians are also important because money has to be found. But money is not going to be a big constraint if there8217;s determination at the top.

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At lower levels, you have to empower departments. All government departments work on mistrust. For every small thing, you can8217;t go to the minister8212;things will never get done that way. Some say privatisation is a solution; well, it has to be thought through. What can be privatised in Delhi may not work elsewhere.

My solution: choose the right person with the right background. And then give him control. And tenure. At Konkan, I was given a clear mandate8212;finish the project. That8217;s all you really need to keep going.

The author built the Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro