A Developed Nation Must Show In The Quality Of Governance

Most of us know about the incident on 2 July 1909, when a gentleman named Okhil Chandra Sen wrote a letter to the Sahibganj Divisional office in West Bengal requesting the authorities to impose a hefty fine on the guard who did not detain the train for some time to let him answer nature’s call. In his letter, the disgruntled Okhil lamented that he missed his train at the Ahmedpur railway station. After receiving Okhil’s letter and following an investigation into the matter, railway authorities decided to introduce toilets in all lower-class carriages in trains travelling more than 50 miles at that time. I have cited this letter a number of times to demonstrate the power of the consumer and also while discussing the more important issue of responsive governance. 

Mismatch between governance and expectations

We are in the year 2025 when we witness India as the fastest growing economy and the economy well set to overtake Japan’s. Most of us, however, notice a mismatch between the quality of governance and the legitimate expectations of the citizens of the fast-growing economy. A developed nation must show in the quality of governance. 

I discuss two cases to highlight the persisting mismatch. The first case relates to our postal service. Speed-Post arrangement of the Government has been functioning for quite many years. It is expected to ensure the speedy despatch of our letters and articles. It costs the user high. An article speed-posted to me on Saturday ( May 10, 2025) around noon from a post office in Bhubaneswar was received in the destination post office of the same city on the same day around five in the afternoon. I got a message from the postal authorities to this effect. No delivery was, however, done on that day, presumably because no delivery is made after sunset. No delivery was done the next day either, presumably because it was a Sunday. Monday, being a holiday, most certainly, there would be no delivery of the article.

Do we not deserve something better? A large amount of money has been paid to make an article reach from one part of a small city to another part. The article is lying in the destination post office for two nights. Why should not letters and articles speed posted be handled till at least eight in the evening and on holidays? I raised the issue on social media recently. The millions of social media users do not find it a good enough issue. They don’t take note of it. Authorities are hardly responsive. The alacrity displayed in 1909 in the case of Shri Okhil Sen is just missing in 2025.

The other case relates to the Railways. Boudh is a district headquarters town in Odisha and is still without a railway connection. The important town is on the 301 km-long ongoing Khurda Road -Bolangir rail line project. Indian Railways has been constructing the line from both sides - Khurda Road and Balangir - for early completion of the works. So far, construction of 239 km has been completed.

A critical stretch of 26.88 km of the project will be commissioned shortly as the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has inspected the stretch in the last week of March 2025, and reportedly given his sanction for commissioning of the newly-laid railway track between Boudh and  Purunakatak.

After the inspection, a trial run of a light train was also reportedly conducted. Considering the long wait of the people of the area for decades for a railway facility, there should have been a lot more eagerness from the authorities to commence a Train service to Boudh soon after the statutory inspection and approval. Considering the importance of the place, a daily Express Train Service from/to Raipur to Boudh (360 km) through Bolangir and Sonepur would be of immense help for the people. Boudh still waits for the Train to chug in. The delay looks paradoxical and highlights a mismatch between popular aspiration and government response. To me, Shri Okhil Sen in 1909 looks luckier than the Boudh denizen of 2025.

(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)