“You can realize what a year-old government has to do to maintain peace and bring about prosperity. The steel frame on which India relied so far is now broken….50 per cent of which was foreign went across the seas. Partition further weakened it… We have only a small number of civil servants left…outsiders cannot appreciate their work. Many of them loyal workers and patriots are working with us night and day. All we have been able to achieve whether it be in the sphere of states or in Kashmir or in any other theatre, have been possible only because of their loyalty and wholehearted support.”

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, October 15, 1949

New Delhi: The journey continues. Roadblocks are still there! Challenges galore! No respite despite best of efforts being put in to serve the nation and its great people. Their determination to chase the goal of good governance remains intact. India’s ‘Steel Frame’ is well prepared to meet new challenges and deliver better results in 2022, a year which should be of hope, build back better and good governance.

The idea of good governance is multifaceted and covers a phalanx of issues such as ethical conduct, rule of law, efficiency and effectiveness, transparency, sound financial management and accountability. It requires a whole lot of effort, determination and commitment to live up to these principles so that better services are delivered to citizens, who are at the centre of public activity. Knowingly or unknowingly, the advent of social media platforms has enabled all men and women to have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate bodies that represent their interests.

Such broad participation is built on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association. All voices, including those of the less privileged and most vulnerable, are heard and taken into account in decision-making, including over the allocation of resources. Thus, the role of honest attempts to ensure that people’s legitimate rights and interests are taken care of.

The two waves of Covid-19 and the third impending one have made the task of building back quite challenging. Though objectives and rules are well aligned to the legitimate expectations and needs of citizens, gaps in public services, delivery mechanisms and grievance redressal have always been a cause of worry for all of us.

The best possible use is made of the resources available and even audits are carried out at regular intervals to assess and improve performance, the sense of alienation among the needy and vulnerable sections of society needs better attention. It was a lifetime experience to see the way the public good was placed before individual interests during Covid-19 pandemic.

 The professional skills of those who deliver governance were continuously maintained and strengthened in order to improve their output and impact at a time when it was needed the most. Members of ‘Steel Frame’ did a fantastic job. From arranging foods, medicines, clothes, oxygen, ambulance to oxygen, they worked with resilience to deliver the best. They will continue to do so in 2022 and years ahead! Happy New Year! The Best Wishes!