Federal rule 'improves' Bihar life
By Amarnath Tewary
BBC News, Patna
22 April 2005

Thieves caught in Bihar
Cracking down on crime is the administration's first priority.
Not a single case of kidnapping has been reported in over a month in
Patna, the bustling capital of India's northern state of Bihar, the
police say.

And only around seven cases of kidnappings have been reported from
other parts of the state during the period.

That's a marked improvement of law and order in a state where,
according to police records, a person has been kidnapped every six
hours since 1992.

That works out to some 30,000 people kidnapped for ransom in the past 13 years.

"We have been able to ward off the prevailing fear psychosis among the
people of the state. The common man is feeling safe and secure today,"
Bihar's chief secretary KAH Subramaniun told BBC News.


There has been a perceptible change in the work culture. Now disposal
of files has become fast and the employees come to work on time Subhas
Sharma, finance secretary. Bureaucrats are attributing the marked
improvement in Bihar's notorious crime situation to the fact that the
state does not have a government of its own.

On 7 March, direct federal rule was imposed on Bihar, one of India's
poorest and most lawless states, as no party or alliance could form a
stable government after elections.

Under direct - or presidential - rule, India's central government
rather than local politicians runs a state on behalf of the president.

The regional Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a key ally of the ruling
Congress party-led federal government which had ruled the state
without a break for 15 years, lost its majority in the February
elections.


Today Bihar's per capita income is a third of the Indian average,
nearly half of its 86 million people live in abject poverty, and only
47.53% of them can read or write.

In recent years crime has soared - a local police report says that the
1000-odd gangs in the state are raising some $17m every year from
extortion and kidnapping.

But over a month of federal rule seems to have improved some matters.

More than 15,000 criminals have been arrested and put behind the bars,
kidnappings were down, and work perked up in government offices.


Work culture has improved in government offices
At the helm of affairs is now the Bihar governor, Buta Singh, a former
Union interior minister.

Mr Singh, according to officials, has decided that cracking down hard
on runaway crime was the first priority.

A report on a month of direct rule in the state says the
administration is taking steps to revive sick industries, filling up
important government services job vacancies and attending to
grievances of government employees and teachers.

Non-performing or controversial civil servants and police officers
have been moved out and replaced.

"All these measures taken have played a vital role in creating a work
culture and also changing face of the state within such a short span
of time," said KAH Subramaniun.


In the shabby government offices overflowing with tatty files, there
is a semblance of a return to work ethic.

"There has been a perceptible change in the work culture in the state
secretariat. Now disposal of files has become fast and the employees
come to work on time," said Subhas Sharma, secretary finance
department.

An employee in one department in Gopalganj district says office
workers have stopped demanding bribes in return for their services.

Governor Buta Singh (l) and bureaucrat KAH Subramaniun are heading the affairs

"For the first time in 15 years the clattering of typewriters can be
heard and files can be seen moving in government offices," said Sanjay
Kumar.

Even the British High Commissioner to India, Michael Arthur, was
upbeat about Bihar's prospects during a recent visit to the state.

"I feel the 40-days of (direct) rule has helped improve the law and
order situation in the state and if things remain unchanged I am
pretty confident industrialist from far off places including UK will
like to invest in this forbidden zone," he said.

Independent analysts agree that there are have been some changes for the better.

Leading social scientist Shaibal Gupta said there had been some
improvement in matters of public finances, though he believes most the
changes are really "cosmetic".

"A lot remains to be done," he said.

Veteran socialist leader Luxmi Sahu also believes that there cannot be
"substantial development without a popular government in the state".

So how long will direct rule last in Bihar?

Bihar has a history of bloody political violence
Shaibal Gupta says it will not last beyond a year.

Any party or alliance in the fray which can cobble together 122
members will lead the 243-member state legislature and rule the state.

The RJD lost the elections winning only 75 of the 215 seats it contested.

The Congress party which backed the RJD in a pre-election coalition
won only 10 of 84 seats it contested.

The rival coalition - an alliance of the Hindu nationalist BJP and the
regional Janata Dal (United) - also fell short of a majority, winning
92 of the 241 seats the parties contested.

Both the alliances had been trying to secure the support of the
regional Lok Janashakti Party (LJP) which won 29 seats and is seen as
a deciding force in forming the next state government.