The human factor
Dr. Saadat Husain (Chairman, PSC) has provided a tutorial to the political pundits and the bureaucracy, in his in-depth article 'The devil is in the details' (DS of 4/5/10).
Publicising a new project is not enough. The bugs are in the implementation details; and in the unwanted and negative human elements prevailing and interfering at about all the vertical and horizontal levels, in the LDCs. This is mainly due to the immature political culture prevailing at the governance levels; with short-term subjective outlook.
I recall that while I was on active service decades ago in Dhaka, as a senior engineer, I used to place one of our engineers on duty at the Secretariat, to assist the Secretariat officers in quick upward movement of the files. He explained the technical implications to the Section officer concerned.
This brings us to the point of still using pen-pushing methods in our Secretariat - a legacy of the British Raj period (remember the Writers' building in old colonial Calcutta?).
Dhaka (and Islamabad) is a new federal capital, starting with zero institutional support, unlike New Delhi. This weakness in the foundation of public service has resulted in political indiscipline we see today. Misuse of power and authority is rampant. The political PR (public relations) has to be improved. There is a tendency to go for mega projects, (with the back doors wide open and crowded). In metropolis Dhaka, for example, the majority of the residents use rickshaws; but there are road restrictions; and there are no lanes for bicycle. Hundreds of expensive high-rise flats have flooded the city; whose clients and sponsors depend on black wealth.
Unless Dhaka is decentralised, the mega city is sure to die out. The farmers in the rural areas are keeping us alive, but they have no social status, due to marginal living conditions. The dynasty rules have glaring weaknesses; but it continues today, even after decades.
The politicians have to wake up!
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