One year in office: Will slow and cautious Prithviraj Chavan win the race?

When Prithviraj ‘Mr Clean’ Chavan took over as Maharashtra’s chief minister 365 days ago, the mandate was clear: the scandal-ravaged state government and the Congress wanted a leader whom no one could accuse of having a hand in the till.

A year on, the messiah finds himself combating a growing chorus about his cautious approach and alleged lack of vision.

Legislators from his own party complain that no file moves quickly, with the chief minister refusing to go beyond remarks such as ‘please put up’ and ‘please examine’.

A senior minister said the slow pace of decision making has hurt the state. Citing an example, he said a decision on mining leases has been delayed so much that the state is losing nearly Rs300 crore per annum. Likewise, more than 10 cluster redevelopment proposals, covering 1 lakh square metres in south and central Mumbai, are awaiting Chavan’s nod. Clearing the projects would not only have earned the state huge revenues through stamp duty and registration, but it would also have eased the housing crunch in Mumbai.

“First of all we do not get appointments easily,” complained another minister. “And when we do, no decision is taken. He takes his own sweet time.”

Three-time MP Suryakanta Patil of the NCP said people want their files to move quickly and decisions to be made in minutes.

“Chavan goes to the root of problems,” said Patil, who was a Union minister of state for five years and has worked closely with Chavan. “This takes time, but the process ensures that no hasty decisions are taken.”

Mahesh Vijapurkar, poitical analyst and commentator, pointed out that Chavan also inherited a poorly run administration where vested interests and lobbyists held sway, and he would need time to prime it to respond to today’s challenges. A Mantralaya official said the CMO gets nearly 40 files a day, or more than 1,000 a month, while the disposal rate is poor.

“Even letters from elected representatives and the public are not disposed of with firm remarks,” the official said. “They are directed to officials who follow their own procedures. Many of these letters merely give birth to new files, increasing the backlog.”

Devendra Fadnavis of the opposition BJP agreed that Chavan had ended the anarchy in the chief minister’s office (CMO) but said some of his ministers were still looting the state. “He has no control over them,” said Fadnavis.

“Also, we expected bold political decisions from him, but his changed approach on Lavasa, for instance, has stunned the state. People want to know under what compulsions he pleaded for regularisation of the project.”

Pratap Asbe, columnist and political analyst, said a year was time enough to show some results. “Every political leader needs the courage to take decisions and digest the criticism that follows,” Asbe said. “Every bold decision carries a risk, but a good leader is less scared.”

Vijapurkar, however, said, Chavan’s “problem is outside Mantralaya where the delivery mechanism has lost its purpose.”

The “I am slow but clean” philosophy may add gloss at the top, but the cutting edge is where the delivery system interacts with citizens, and that is where Chavan would be judged, not on whether he prevented more Adarshes.

“Every segment is rotten,” said Vijapurkar. “it is the mai-baap model of handing out goodies to beneficiaries, when it should be left to facilitators to ensure that entitlements reach citizens. The bureaucracy acts like a middleman with a cut in mind.”

The opposition, naturally, has been gleefully gunning for the chief minister. Subhash Desai of the Shiv Sena lambasted Chavan for his “poor vision”. “Not only has load shedding gone up, but also the unit price of power,” Desai pointed out. “Same is the case with the assured price for cotton and sugar. Law  and order has worsened and crimes against women are rising. No class of society is happy under Prithviraj Chavan.”

A senior NCP politician, however, said one needed to understand the circumstances in which Chavan took over as chief minister. “Also, work cultures in Delhi and Maharashtra differ. He took time to understand the system. One cannot expect him to work magic.”

Asbe suggested that the chief minister could improve his image by ensuring that at least policy decisions relating to the common man are taken quickly and their implementation follows in a time-bound manner. “Decisions relating to housing and infrastructure need to be taken quickly,” he said. “He cannot escape his responsibilities under the pretext of being in a coalition.”