The Hindu Business Line : A long wait for them outside Mantralaya

THERE is no standing room in the corridors outside any Minister's chamber in Maharashtra's secretariat — the Mantralaya and outside most offices of the desk officers. They carry a piece of paper and lot of hope.

And this will last till the Election Commission announces the dates for the Assembly elections due in October this year.

When that happens, no Minister can ``take a decision'' for it would violate a model code of conduct.

The announcement is expected anytime after the weekend.

That those who need even minor work done in a village, in what is avowedly a decentralised democracy but find the need to make a pilgrimage, often several in fact for one single task is disquieting.

But the fact that they need to come to the apex is an index of how badly dysfunctional it has become.

Unless ``the wheels are moved from here,'' said Mr Govind Narayan Apte from Ashti today, ``nothing happens. We know it; don't you?'' he asked with amusement.

These people are outside the Mantralaya, wanting to get in through two `Janata Janardhan' — people are gods — gates, waiting for hours till they are let in at 2 PM.

Rain, shine and heat does not deter them.

Of course, those who are well connected, and belong to the lobbies, have easy access and they march in and meet the decision makers as they always did.

The common man comes, and comes again till his work is done or is totally frustrated.

Crowds are not uncommon, seeking to meet the Ministers. But the numbers have gone up by several times because everyone is in a hurry to get a signature with a comment ``examine and put up'' or words to the effect.

Now, most of the men, who achieve this milepost after several hurdles, prefer to hand it over personally to the desk officers and not through the Minister's secretarial staff; that would mean avoidable delays.

Says a Minister: ``We often sign and push the paper forward, knowing fully well that not all of them would fructify into a decision.''

But the more pressing ones are those relating to transfers, from constables to tehsildars and upwards.

In such cases, a local bigwig from the constituency, an MLA or a fixer, is always in tow.

The signature is affixed because, election time, everyone has to be kept happy. That is the art of winning the polls.

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