Frequent bureaucratic shuffling has neither reduced the governance not will it improve the governance at grass roots as the way of running the affairs of the government remains unchanged. While many top bureaucrats overstaying on key positions for more than last two years both in civil and police administration are not touched , the performers are sent on punishment postings only for the fault of not tending to be more loyal than the kings . The public functions held for inaugurations of the old development projects left incomplete by the previous popular governments and the foundation laying ceremonies of the new projects was the way of working of the previous popular governments of erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir state and is now the focused area of the government under Lt Governor Manoj Sinha in absence of a popular government. Frequent bureaucratic changes signify a whimsical way of governing but not the path breaking way of changing the model of development and accountability in the government. Changing divisional commissioner Jammu and leaving Divisional Commissioner Kashmir untouched despite both holding positions for over two years shows that government does not go by the policy of merit but by the approach of it’s own conveniences. If the top order had to be changed , it had to be either changed both in Kashmir and Jammu or it had to be given more time to improve the working of public institutions at the grass roots in both the divisions.
Changing faces in administration won’t change the face of governance but changing narratives for reducing the governance deficit through a policy of accountability and transparency is the only way to change the face of governance in Jammu & Kashmir.
The selective shuffling of bureaucrats also shows that government has confidence in individuals but not in public institutions functioning under a system practiced since decades throughout the country. The government promising empowerment of youth but not reacting to allegations of irregularities in the recent selections for Jammu & Kashmir bank shows that government pursues the policy of rhetoric but not the approach of realism in redressal of the grievances of the unemployed youth. So question can be asked when the government does not pay heed to the genuine grievances of the youth, how come the youth of Kashmir would believe in the promises of youth empowerment. Sports and festivals are the means of physical development but not the way of institutional and economic empowerment of youth. In no way the exaggerated narratives should clash with lack of policy delivery as such a narrative only undermines the credibility of the government. Changing faces in administration won’t change the face of governance but changing narratives for reducing the governance deficit through a policy of accountability and transparency is the only way to change the face of governance in Jammu & Kashmir.
