It will not just be Karnataka’s voters who will be keeping a close watch on the new Congress Government and its performance. All of India will be keenly observing the State to see whether the Congress can demonstrate able governance and showcase decisive development. Therefore, the State Government must get into action mode from day one itself. Here are some issues that it should address among its top priorities:

Implementation of Article 371(J) for Hyderabad-Karnataka : This region, comprising Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur, Yadgir, Koppal and Bellary districts, got special status through the 118th constitutional amendment bill that was passed unanimously by Parliament late last year. It will allow for more funds and jobs for locals, though implementation has been slow. Demonstrable progress on a tight timeline should be made a top priority of the Government.

Drought-proofing : Penetration of drip irrigation needs to be scaled up to enable farmers to cope with limited water availability. The Congress has promised 100 per cent subsidy for this technology in its manifesto. Further, efforts to recharge water tables through farm ponds and tank de-silting need to be enhanced, possibly by integrating these with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Garbage management : The pathetic transformation of the Garden City of Bangalore into the Garbage City during the BJP’s regime has to be immediately reversed. Garbage dumps that have caused health problems to residents of villages must be replaced with scientifically designed, safer landfills in new locations. Citizens must be exhorted and helped to segregate garbage at source. But instead of making this a purely Bangalore issue, the Government should pay attention to garbage management across all urban centres. Karnataka is urbanising rapidly, and environment and planning have played little role in the explosion of towns and cities. That needs to change urgently.

Youth and jobs : The Congress has promised to provide rural youth with laptops and tablets, which is a commendable effort to bridge the digital divide. However, along with the hardware, it is crucial to have appropriate software. In this case, the Government must crowd source educational materials so that the rural youth can quickly acquire them, including soft skills (mastery of functional English), that will enable them to join the workforce.

Citizen-centric governance : The Government must scale up the initiatives that are already in place to enable citizens to access services quickly and effectively. A mindset change is crucial, so that bureaucrats drop delay and denial and replace it with an understanding of the true meaning of ‘government servant’. This pro-citizen attitude has to be emphasised from the top leadership down and officials need to be incentivised — both through systemic changes and appropriate rewards for problem solvers — by introducing online file tracking and grievance redressal systems.

Infrastructure: Projects in the pipeline should be quickly implemented. The Bangalore Metro’s pace and reach has to be hastened. The British Government’s willingness to invest in upgrading the Bangalore-Mumbai corridor must be taken up. GAIL’s gas pipeline is already in place, which should allow for industrial and residential projects based on the availability of natural gas to be pushed through in an expedient manner.

Investment climate : Karnataka has had lopsided growth, with Bangalore attracting investors even despite the mis-governance of the previous government. The new Government should strive to create the right kind of infrastructure and facilitation that will attract investors to centres other than just Bangalore. This requires more than just better power and roads. The Government should be seen as being supportive of investment rather than as an extorter.

Cultural climate : The new Government must signal to the people that the State is now firmly out of the shadow of moral policing that vitiated Karnataka’s cosmopolitan atmosphere. Extending Bangalore’s late night closing time by a couple of hours would send the appropriate message. It would give a fillip to business, while making the city more investment and professional friendly.

The State’s new leaders must be saying: So much to do and so little time. Yes, indeed! But if these new leaders work smart, focus on results, pay heed to public inputs, and take time off for a retreat every year to assess their progress, they will be able to catapult Karnataka back to the top rank of India’s states in a short time.

The people have given them a solid mandate. Now it’s time for them to say thank you, not through words, but through visible deeds.

(The author is Chairperson, Centre for Public Policy, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.)

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