The Delhi-type voters of NCR, would largely be not voting in the assembly polls of Uttar Pradesh, as most of them work in the city where there would be no poll day holiday. This is a fact which is realised very well by political parties – thus their indifference towards these voters.
For those moving home to Uttar Pradesh from Delhi, lured by the promises made by the builders about the most modern amenities in the condominiums on sale, the challenge is not just to engage with the unscrupulous real estate agents but an equally corrupt government machinery.
Despite an honest monk as the chief minister for the five years, the cultural change in the public dealing offices of Uttar Pradesh from blatant corruption to honest practices is still a far cry. Despite Uttar Pradesh government pushing for digital dealing with public, the officials have beaten the IT-professionals at their game especially in their model townships on the periphery of the city.
Let’s take example of Ghaziabad Development Authority, a most corrupt body, which fleeces public at the drop of a hat. For example if you buy a property, your name has to be entered in the GDA records, a process which is called mutation. This is after you have registered sale deed in Registrar’s court. The application for mutation has to be made online but before that a written submission has to be made.
And as celebrated poet T S Eliot had in his famous poem ‘Hollow Men’ said, between idea and reality there fall a shadow, so does between submission and online application there falls a huge shadow. The same is the story at almost all the development authorities in the NCR, be it Noida, Greater Noida, Yeida, Meerut and many more.
Try for an electricity connection, again the application has to be made online. Thereafter, a third party survey would be done and the file would seamlessly reach the office of the legendary junior engineer. He would then roll out reasons for non-feasibility of power connection. The easy way out is to visit the builder’s office or the local property dealer, who would facilitate the connection. This facilitation would come on the payment of a huge consultancy fees.
Having got the property in your name, also a power connection and water connection, but still you cannot sit back and relax. If you have a growing up child applying for admission to various universities and colleges, they may be asked to produce a domicile certificate.
Getting that too at the first go doesn’t look to be very difficult. Apply online and the processing done digitally and you are informed to collect the certificate from Citizen Service Centre located in the local Collectorate.
Here the ubiquitous clerk behind the counter is likely to tell you that server remain down for days together until you decide to put some grease and allow mobility to function better and the server to serve. This digital drama of server down and up repeats itself in almost all the public dealing offices be it transport authority or the municipal corporations. Going digital means little relief and a lot of harassment.
While political parties in UP try slaying each other in the names of Lord Ram and Jinnah, let us hope some thought is given on how to rid the state of its culture of corruption in the government offices. Samajwadis in their time called UP, Uttam (best) Pradesh, the BJP calls it “DeshKa Pradesh No.1” (number one state). The fact, however, is that nothing changes in ‘Ulta’ (upside down) Pradesh.
Sidharth Mishra
Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice