There has been a lot of hue and cry over the (mis)rule of the UPA under Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The alarming defeat of the Congress party in the recently held state Assembly polls has only added fuel to the fire. We invited the decision makers to make their own assessment regarding the above notion about Dr Singh’s tenure and found that the majority of them rate his performance as below average.
If RC Pant, a surfer, felt that we do have an Economist in our Prime Minister Dr. Man Mohan Singh but he lacks certain leadership qualities which are very much essential in political arena, another surfer Rajkumar Bajpai said that Manmohan Singh’s lack luster performance which resulted in Congress’s disgraceful defeats in State Assembly polls has been below average.
Another surfer Ramesh Chhabra however said, “I do not know the economic policies of Dr. Man Mohan Singh. But I will honor him as a great politician who runs the government very smoothly, efficiently & completed his tenure as PM twice”.
Yet another surfer RP Pande said, ” I would rate Dr ManMohan Singh the worst ever P.M, of India. He has failed miserably in all areas”.
By and large the main reasons behind his below average performance, as pointed out by the decision makers who wished anonymity, were
Manmohan Singh, the unelected PM, failed to lead the political and permanent Executive from the front. Unconnected with the masses and usually reticent, he never engaged with the grassroots. Bureaucracy looks forward to an assertive CEO, which he is not.
Dual centres of power. Sonia Gandhi retained charge of politics while leaving governance to Manmohan Singh
As ministers owe allegiance to Sonia Gandhi and their parties’ Supremo, the PM is divested of all authority. The PMO is ruled by the Congress High Command. A “bureaucratic caucus” in the PMO transformed all Congress’s orders into Cabinet decisions.
Backseat driving by extra-Constitutional authorities subverted legitimate, competent authorities in central government. All top appointments were made, on quid pro quo basis, on recommendations of business houses, builders mafia. Mediocrity is encouraged at the cost of Merit. Honest civil servants are either marginalized or punished.
The PM embroiled in scams, has lost moral authority to question his ministers who have direct access to “high command”.
The Congress is a Past master in making compromises with UPA allies in the name of electoral adjustments in exchange of protection from its caged parrot.
Supreme arrogance, insensitivity and incapability of the Congress and its economist PM to check inflation also contributed to his below average performance..
Secretaries and Ministers in GoI
The wind has started blowing and the result is visible. Secretaries in the Government have now started ignoring the calls of the Ministers in the Government of India.
Drop in profit of Coal India
There has been 11.4 per cent drop in net profit of the Coal India ltd for the third quarter ended December at Rs 3,894.09 crore.Net profit was at Rs 4,395.11 crore during the same period a year ago. What a performance ?
