The Hindu Business Line : A lot done, a lot more remains

WITH the 13th Lok Sabha coming to an end and the process set in motion to usher in the 14th, it has been quite a while that a coalition Government has lasted a full term.

More heartening is the fact that rather than just clinging on to power at the Centre, the BJP-led NDA coalition under the stewardship of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee has moved the reform process quite a few steps forward in most sectors. A lot has been achieved, but still, a lot more remains.

It's not always that after the demise of a Government, "the good is oft interred in the bones, and the bad lives after them." But it is human nature to look back at what remains to be achieved. For the simple reason that the electorate gives the mandate to a party or a coalition to govern, and govern well.

And so, as the Election Commission's `Model code of conduct' comes into play, effectively halting all policy making that may sway the electorate, it is time to look back at the agenda that remains unfinished. For all practical purposes, it is also an agenda that the new Government at the Centre needs to take up, after the elections. Unless, of course, the party with the mandate to take up the cudgels decides to have a look-in.

Clearly, there are certain sectors that the NDA Government has excelled in. Standing out in a major way in this respect is the national highways and road network development, which has made remarkable progress. Another area in the infrastructure sector, which has moved well along the path of modernisation and competition, is telecommunications. Though a lot still remains.

Among the sectors that have largely remained grounded, for instance, is civil aviation. A comprehensive policy on the sector - to usher in competition, choices and availability - is yet to be formulated. Besides, the air passengers' dream - those still loyal to Indian Airlines - of flying in new aircraft will take some more time to fructify as the final nod to go in for acquisition of 43 aircraft from Airbus is still awaited. Similarly, the domestic private airlines' hopes of reaching out to the international skies also remain grounded for much the same reason.

In the power sector, although some progress has been made, as compared to the deadlock a few years back, a uniform tariff policy still remains on the drawing boards. The move to bolster private power generation through public sector backing also remains in the halfway mode.

As for the telecom sector, the much-needed push to energise the sector remains an incomplete task as the Government has been unable to make up its mind on increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) cap from the existing ceiling. A sector that has remained enmeshed in squabbles and bickering between various players, there are still a lot of nitty-gritty that remain to be ironed out.

In the petroleum sector, a hike in the natural gas prices has been consciously shelved as that would perhaps have affected the fortunes of the ruling coalition.

In the pension sector also, the last mile reforms still remain incomplete and which is why the full benefits of the opening up process are yet to be reaped.