Kashmir remains cut off since last three days after heavy snowfall brought the Jammu & Kashmir Government virtually on collapsing mode, but the system connected with the delivery of essential services is virtually on a collapsing mode. Question can be asked that was the Kashmir’s divisional administration caught by shock and surprise by the snowfall that turned defunct in shambles the entire system of the delivery of essential services particularly snow clearance on the roads connecting Kashmir with Jammu and rest of the country and Srinagar with other district headquarters of Kashmir valley. Government failing to deliver in times of crisis shows that the entire system of governance is in shambles and this is what people as wells as the leaders of major mainstream parties have been alleging for the last more than eighteen months. While the irrefutable fact is that leaders of the major mainstream parties have been making loud cries about the loopholes in J&K administrative apparatus and highlighting the shortcomings of the departments tasked the job of supervising the process of delivery of essential services, the government has done nothing to take stock of the supply position of the essential services hit badly by the closure of Kashmir highway and suspension of air traffic at Srinagar airport. Leave alone overcoming the crisis and difficult times on war footing, the arrogance and complacency has enveloped in the entire hierarchy of administration and officers at all levels are least bothered about the restoration of essential services as they keep their whole attention focused only on appeasing their top bosses at the civil secretariat particularly the LG’s advisors, Chief Secretary, Director General Police and over half a dozen principal secretaries holding portfolios of key departments. Ultimately it is for Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to take the criticism in a positive way, instead as some personal attack and abuse and react in a manner that would often be seen as indefensible defence.
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For all practical purposes delivery of essential services has to be seen in continuity and not on day to day basis or in times of crisis and as such a plan of action has to be put in order to reverse the system of lapses which by all standards of administrative understandabilities is a difficult task now.
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Surrounded by a team of handpicked bureaucrats brought from other states of the country to Jammu & Kashmir specially for dealing with the challenges of law enforcement and development after the central government’s August 5,2019 moves over erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state the Lt Governor should not have faced the criticism he faces today over the failure of his government in responding to crisis that has developed in the aftermath of the heavy snowfall. The administration which needs a tight control and constant system of accountability has failed to show it’s presence on the ground in resolving the ongoing crisis that has developed after the snowfall continuing since last three days. Unfortunately the LG’s advisors spend their days in meetings to overtly and covertly give replies and explanations on failed systems of governance than pulling up the top babus for the lapses very much visible on the ground. Like the former Chief Ministers the Lt Governor would be now planning visits to Kashmir for interaction with people and the district administrations to receive first hand appraisal of the measures put in place for restoration of essential services after the snowfall. There is nothing wrong whatever Lt Governor would do to make people believe that he takes personal pains and care to restore the essential services, but surely such measures have to be taken months before the commencement of the harshest season of 40 day long winter season popularly called “ chilla-i-Kalan”, but not after the heavy snowfall puts the entire system of the delivery of essential services on a collapsing mode. For all practical purposes delivery of essential services has to be seen in continuity and not on day to day basis or in times of crisis and as such a plan of action has to be put in order to reverse the system of lapses which by all standards of administrative understandabilities is a difficult task now.
