आज तो मनडे है !!!

" AAj to Monday hai".............the babu said. "Abhi to 12 baje hain, sahab aate hi honge, vaise bhi aaj to monday hai". yes that's what I got as reply in one of the government's beaureaucratic corridors, when asked for absence of a particular officer even at 12 noon today ie. Monday morning....and that too, in a state

which boasts of one of the most well oiled government machinery in the country. The statement came and hit me with the thought.............how far ahead this state would have moved, had these babus would have been working twice as sincerely. Other states should actually thank the babus in government offices of Gujarat, for wothout their help, the chasm between Gujarat and other states would have been much wider.

Gujarat......is a remarkable state, and it has got a great administrator in form of Narendra Modi. That man had single handedly taken the state machinery several notches up. You talk to a IAS officer in Ahmedabad, with a clear business proposal. That person would not just lend you ears, but would also, bring along his area specialists to understand the power in the powerpoint one is making before him. And once he is convinced, its difficult, he'll let you go to any other state. One level below, there is a competition among various district collectors to invite investments in their respective districts. Two levels below, Tehsil Development officers, pitch in with their offers of facilities as a competition of having the schemes run in their area. Three level below, Sarpanch of gram panchayats, offer their all possible support to a investor, to lure him to their particular gram panchayat. This is the kind of professionalism built in the system, by this one man.......Narendra Modi.

Today only, I was reading in the newspaper......an interview, where a muslim businessman settled in mumbai post gujarat riots of 2002, was commenting, " Leaving aside Gujarat riots as a single blotch, Gujarat is such a wonderful place to do business, that i want to forget the incident and go back to Gujarat." This statement might have been made by one man, but reflects the sentiments of many of such people.

Talking about infrastructure, Jyotigram yojna has transformed the rural electrification scenario in the state. Each household in the rural areas recieves more than 20 hours of electricity. This coupled with the excellent road network (including the likes of Ahmedabad - Vadodra Expressway) has today paved the way of industries moving to rural areas in gujarat. This has not just helped in decongestion of cities but also bringing all amenities of good life, to rural areas.

While making this transformation, he also worked on the IT front. In which other place in India , wuld you find, villages having their own websites. www.vasad.in is just one such example as I visited this particular village. In land record offices at district level, there is a CD version of all land records, villages maps etc. existing. People at various levels in the governemnt system, as below as Gram Panchayat have been armed with Computers and educated people are being elected as Sarpanchs. All this is the reason, why Gujarat is running on a horseback, while other states are walking on foot.

While coming back, on the way from Hotel to Airport, my driver commented about Modi, " He doesn't sleep, neither does he allow anybody to sleep...............he doesn't eat, and neither does let anybody eat" I took some time to understand the underlying message...........but got to the depth of it.

He with his administraitve skills has transformed the chain, but Mr. modi, if you are listening, you missed out on ........... the babus, the public face.............who still function in their own style.....and their PAs tell the common man...........on a monday morning at 12 noon........sahab aayenge, abhi to sirf 12 baje hain, aur waise bhi "aaj to monday hai"