Odisha’s extra-constitutional power centre

The administration is going bizarre. After Boudh, it was the turn of Angul where the police stopped the sale of eggs before the visit of the Private Secretary to the Chief Minister. Reportedly some people threw eggs at the vehicle of this officer in Sonepur District and the police responded swiftly. As a result, at Boudh, the next stop of the officer, egg sellers were made to shut shops. That such action hits the fundamental right of the seller and compromises the freedom of the consumers has not bothered the police. Cases of egg-throwing as a tool for articulating protest are not new in Odisha. What is new and worrisome is the way police have been responding to such cases. There are instances where police have even booked alleged offenders with serious charges under section 307 of IPC—attempt to murder. This mindset reflects intolerance of the present government to dissent while dissent has always been a valuable component of Democracy. 

Strangely, people in politics of late have even started talking critically about the powerful Private Secretary to the Chief Minister. This is strange because they have been always reticent and hardly vocal on this issue though this Bureaucrat has been the focal point of government for many years and Ministers and Bureaucrats have been widely perceived to be acting as per his bidding. People have been watching for years a strange pattern where this officer figures as the sole attendant when the Chief Minister meets even political leaders of other states or from the centre and when the Chief Minister reads out an important government decision. It seems there has been a very well-planned strategy to improve his visibility and make him a recognizable figure throughout the state—an opportunity denied to any political person in the state. All Ministers and legislators have been kept as leaders of local relevance.  Initially, some bureaucratic niceties were followed when either the Development Commissioner or the Chief Secretary used to visit places with this officer to supervise government programmes though in fact, their presence was only of symbolic value. Now even that arrangement has been dispensed with and he flies to any destination he chooses, puts himself on an elaborate stage as the sole VIP, and addresses hundreds of people in an elaborate venue immaculately and lavishly arranged. People feel each venue costs a huge sum of money; a public servant on condition of anonymity estimated the cost at about two million rupees. No one clarifies the source of funding such an arrangement.  It is widely believed that Ministers and legislators make adequate preparations for such meetings and they are in attendance at a distance not to give the meeting any political colour. They don’t sit on the dais either.  It is doubtful if such a strange pattern of governance is followed in any other state of India. 

It would be wrong to assume that this arrangement is adding speed and quality to the state’s development; nor is it correct to say that this particular officer is the only one who delivers. Had it been true, this quixotic arrangement could have a dampening impact on the raging corruption in the state. Corruption had never been so virulent and widespread as it is now. The state’s school education continues to be in shambles. Most Gram Panchayats do not have Banks—a sure enough indication of the poverty in most parts. Distress-induced migration has not abated either. Very few Panchayats have their own income despite crores of rupees going to the rural areas, though fifty years ago, even Panchayats in tribal areas did have their own income. The whole highly expensive show undoubtedly is creating a new Face of governance and for winning elections; not for meaningful development of the state. 

The state, however, continues to watch nonchalantly the operation of such an extra-constitutional power centre. To be fair, one needs to admit that this arrangement is not new. From the first day of the Naveen era, such an arrangement has been operating. Extra Constitutional power centre, in fact, has been the signature pattern of governance in Naveen era. It has thrived with the support of many bureaucrats, political personalities, and even support from powerful segments of society, businesses, and fortune-seekers. Civil Society and even Opposition have never made this arrangement an issue of strong protest. The legacy of the first power centre has been carried forward and maybe has now been fine-tuned. 

What, however, is surprising is the present murmur against this arrangement. The interesting part is the present attack is on the Bureaucrat, not on his Master. This could hide the real story. Some suspect the attack has the secret blessings of the Master. Some say this move is a calculated one to set the stage ready for a sudden clipping of the wings and secure widespread popular support. As of now, however, the state and the government keep suffering from an unnatural arrangement that has made the bureaucracy much less effective and highly politicised.

(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.)