IAS OFFICERS...a tale of two states...

the other day...i came across two people with two different experiences...

one hailing from sikkim...and the other from arunachal.

seems like the person from sikkim was putting up in a hostel in delhi maintained by the state government....all expenses paid... there are a few more like her in the hostel....and their task...prepare for the civil services exam....and this includes the coaching expenditure in some of the best IAS coaching institutes in delhi... (no one has cleared prelims from the lot)...its a huge expenditure the state exchequer is bearing..if one considers the cost of living in delhi and the tuition fees in coaching centers...

the second part..... the guy from arunachal clears his prelims exams...works hard for the main exams...in the meantime with some others who too have cleared prelims, from AP, meet the Chief Minister. the CM promises them some financial support..and he does provide it too...Rs. 5000 each... its the officials in Arunachal Bhawan who are entrusted with the responsibility of seeing the task done... this guy who's also been pursuing his studies in delhi univ..goes to claim the amount...and he is for a shock....

he is asked whether he is receiving any financial support from the state...he admits that he's been getting his yearly stipend from the state government...now thats an amount of some 300 odd rupees per month...a measly sum when studying in delhi...( even in arunachal too...considering books are costly...and guys stay in rent houses for want of hostels).... and one that he is entitled too... he is told that he will be eligible only either for the stipend or the sum of 5 grands for clearing the prelims test....this is discouraging when one realises that in the all india test, with more than 2.5 lacs to 3 lacs...only some 8 to 9 thousand clear the prelims...and ones they clear the exams...the state stands to benefit from their service...

its a fact that not many people look at IAS officers with awe and admiration...though they would like to be one...theres a generaly tendency to criticise the bureaucracy in gen, and the IAS in particular, for being corrupt and inefficient....but the we got to realise a few things here...

not all bureaucrats are corrupt....and secondly, if the state wants a say in decision making process in delhi...we need to have some arunachalis among those. with a state thats reeling in debt, and thats being sidelined in most of the schemes thats being doled out by the center...it is pertinent that theres got to be someone from the state..bringing out the concerns of the state in the corridors of north and south block...the blocks where the decisions are taken...

an occassional demand from the CM in the meetings of all the Chief Ministers presided by the Prime Minister or in some other ministry meetings, at the most generates "15 minutes of concern".... and such 15 minutes of concerns are not good for the state demanding addl financial help or increase in grants...when the state doesnt even have the resources to pay for its teachers and doctors...or even the political clout to blackmail the center.... can two MPs in opposition, with one in Rajya Sabha, force manmohan to increase the grants...?

AND WE ARENT EVEN TALKING OF LOANS...we are talking in terms of grants...

not that IAS officers are powerful enough to direct all funds from all schemes to the state..but with the background knowledge of some of the poorest regions of the state..they might be able to squeeze out something from the center...atleast for the state..

the state's got to give some due attention on this issue...its nice to encourage students to become engineers and doctors...but then....with the no of students pursuing higher education in the state, capable enough of competing with the rest of the students from the country, including those not being able to get into some engineering or mbbs courses due to want of seats, getting lost in the way... their enthusiasm, energy and ability, if redirected well, could be a source of empowerment and development...provided they dont turn out to be corrupt..and the risk is worth taking I suppose...