Speed ​​power can drive behavior change for better governance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi once said that what surprised him in Delhi compared to his tenure as Gujarat chief minister was the extent to which central ministries functioned in silos. The surprise he expressed was echoed in an article written by my fellow member of the Economic Advisory Committee, Prime Minister Neelkanth Mishra, about five years ago. In an article on 2 January 2017, he expressed surprise that the Central Board of Excise and Customs and the Central Board of Direct Taxes had to sign an MoU for data sharing (bit.ly/30XG2z9).

Think of Gati Shakti as a solution to the problem of information-sharing between ministries and government departments at the Centre. It is a software element in the implementation of infrastructure projects of the government. This is not a declaration of additional expenditure. It is about data linkage and fixing wrinkles by estimating them and not after they have arisen. As clearly stated in the concept note, it is about learning from the past. That is the freshness. To that extent, it is an even more significant development than the announcement of a new infrastructure spending program.

Whether it is auction of mineral resources through transparent e-bidding process, purchase of public goods through government e-marketplace (GeM), or direct benefit transfer scheme, or others, the National Democratic Alliance government has given priority since 2014. . Efficiency in government work and delivery of government services to the public. Speed ​​power should be seen as an extension of this approach. So the prime minister was empowered to characterize it as a “whole government” approach to infrastructure development.

Gati Shakti should be seen as one force in India’s infrastructure-building cycle which are the other three important ones: the 10-year infrastructure development program announced last year, the national monetization pipeline and the privatization of public sector enterprises. Therefore, it was necessary that the sale of Air India should take place in this financial year. This is an important statement of implementation of the Centre’s intention. In launching Gati Shakti, Modi was right to express the hope that it would do the same for infrastructure development that India’s Jan Dhan Yojana, the JAM trinity of Aadhaar and mobile telephony, for the transfer of government benefits to the people. did.

Governments and bureaucracies around the world operate on the basis of information power, and the more it accumulates, the more power it accumulates. Therefore, it is not easy to expect voluntary information-sharing. Even that has to be a project in itself, aided by technology. Five years ago, information sharing between the boards in charge of indirect and direct taxes was a ‘success’. Now, it has become regular and as a result the taxpayer base in the country has increased. Therefore, a dashboard that allows all government stakeholders to access information related to infrastructure projects in all its aspects for its operation is a potential game-changer. Given time, this can catalyze behavioral changes in the bureaucracy. This would be a big difference for the regime.

In his weekly column on the initiative (bit.ly/36Gati), columnist Shankar Iyer calls for elements that will facilitate citizen-monitoring and accountability. he is right. Information-sharing among implementing agencies is undoubtedly an important element of accountability. But the availability of information in the hands of the public will take it to another level.

There are two other levels of software upgrades that need to be achieved to make infrastructure creation smoother and faster. An extension of information dashboards for state and local governments. They constitute important last-mile elements of projects. This will also encourage cooperative federalism. it is not easy. We have many states and union territories. Nevertheless, pilot initiatives with reformative states and success stories can inspire and set the tone for others.

The second aspect is the negotiation of contracts with the private sector for monetization, construction and/or operation of existing assets. In the spirit of the Gati Shakti Initiative, these agreements must also learn from the mistakes made in the past. In some ways, the Indian bureaucracy has to up its game in contract design and negotiation. Ease of language and transparency of mutual obligations and expectations will go a long way in avoiding costly renegotiations, unnecessary litigation and costly delays.

In short, Gati Shakti is an important step in the efficient creation of infrastructure assets. This mission is advanced, but the mission is not completed yet.

V. Ananth Nageswaran is a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister. These are the personal views of the author.