Will Modi start corporate-style appraisal process for his ministers?

Of the various accusations that the UPA was faced with on the eve of its massive poll debacle was the loose grip Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had on his ministers. It was widely believed that the strings to the ministry were being pulled by the Gandhis, who were not officially a part of the government. Resentment against the incumbent government only grew with reports of the ministers slipping up on their duties. While it was difficult to directly pin allegations of corruption on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh given his squeaky clean political career, the fact that several ministers wheeled out of control under his leadership, was reason enough to question how adept he was at keeping his flock in place. Narendra Modi, who criticised the former PM’s lack of influence on his ministers relentlessly, knows better than to go the Manmohan Singh way. At least, the one thing he won’t do is give an impression that he will go soft on ministers who stray. Given that his poll plank was anti-corruption and pro- development, Modi is making just the right sounds involved in making him look like he is in complete control of the government. [caption id=“attachment_1554625” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  PM Narendra Modi. AFP.[/caption] According to a report on The Times of India, the performance of ministers will be reviewed much like the performance of corporate employees every year. According to the report former PM Manmohan Singh had also tried to start a process like that during the second term, but had been blocked by Congress ministers. TOI reports, “Modi has already sought to make his emphasis on ministerial accountability plain by scrapping of UPA-era GoMs and EGoMs, devises seen to have added to the previous government’s policy paralysis by diffusing responsibility. The PM is also understood to have laid emphasis on ministers ensuring that their offices are run in exemplary fashion and did not attract any taint of controversy.” The Economic Times reports that he held a three-hour meeting with his ministers to emphasise the need for transparency. The ET report states, “Providing “marg darshan” (guidance) to his 45-ministerial colleagues, he emphasised that the benefits of programmes and works undertaken by the various ministries should reach the people and the public should feel that the government is working for them, sources said. He said all the ministers and ministries should work cohesively with synergy and appropriately utilise the services of the bureaucracy by taking them along for the country’s development, sources said.” Modi’s emphasis on transparency is on expected lines, given that he declared that his government will be people-friendly and completely answerable to the people the moment his new website as the Prime Minister of India was launched. The new Prime Minister of India’s website notes, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi firmly believes that transparency and accountability are the two cornerstones of any pro-people government. Transparency and accountability not only connect the people closer to the government but also make them equal and integral part of the decision making process. “During his record 4 terms as Chief Minister Narendra Modi demonstrated strong commitment to an open and transparent government. Rules and policies were not framed in AC Chambers but among the people. Draft policies were put online for people to give their feedback and suggestions. At the same time, initiatives such as Garib Kalyan Melas ensured that fruits of development directly reach the poor without any red tape. Another example is model of ‘One Day Governance’ that focuses on providing time bound services to the citizens by leveraging the e-governance infrastructure. The main objective of this was to ensure provision of all Government-to-citizen services covered under the Citizens’ Charter. His strong resolve to transparency backed by the manner in which he put this commitment to practice indicates an era of open, transparent and people- centric government for the people of India.” Here’s hoping, that unlike the Congress leaders, Modi’s ministers take up the challenge in good spirits.