The Hindu Business Line : Private is not always best

THERE is no dearth of people who swear by the private sector and its efficiency. These loyalists stop at nothing to debunk the state-owned organisations and their poor performance, in general. If only they were always right.

Take, for example, the case of the state-owned river transportation company, which is always the target of criticism of people at various levels, both within the government and outside, for its not-so-satisfactory performance.

Sincere efforts to draw the attention of those at the appropriate level to the genuine problems facing the organisation have never worked, with the powers-that-be usually dismissing such efforts.

So, when the decision was taken to involve a private river transportation company for running services from Kolkata to the North-East, the jubilation among the champions of the free market economy was all too evident.

Alas, the joy was short-lived. The state-owned organisation normally takes 65 days for a round-trip.

The private company concerned took 135 days in its maiden attempt and more than 140 days in the second, and declined to undertake any more voyages, citing a plethora of problems.

Nobody has heard from the private sector champions since then.

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