Little relief for Vajpayee

During his recent visit to Gujarat, the Prime Minister had to face protests over the Keshubhai Patel regime's non-too- impressive performance in earthquake relief. Manas Dasgupta reports.

DESPITE THE best efforts of the Gujarat Government to convince the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, that its rehabilitation and reconstruction package for the earthquake- affected people was the ``best and the fastest in the world'', he apparently was not impressed.

He did not mince words to declare, after a two-day visit last week to the worst-hit Kutch district, that he had found ``shortcomings'' in the State Government's relief efforts. While showering unequivocal praise on the non-government organisations for their contributions, Mr. Vajpayee refused to make even a passing reference to the State Government's efforts except to congratulate those officials who had immediately responded to the call of duty though victims themselves.

In fact, Mr. Vajpayee had reportedly pulled up the Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, during a meeting in Delhi about a fortnight ago for making tall promises but failing to fulfill them. The reference was to Mr. Patel's initial announcement that his Government would construct some eight lakh houses before the monsoon - not even 8,000 sheds had been built.

Political observers here attach considerable significance to Mr. Vajpayee's comment at a public meeting that ``the Government will change''. Since Assembly elections are still about 20 months away, the observers believe there could be a leadership change in Gujarat, which the BJP projects as its ``model state'' but where lately it seems to be losing ground rapidly.

Mr. Vajpayee declined to enumerate the ``shortcomings'' he had noticed and only said he had pointed these out to the Chief Minister and directed him to act quickly to redress the grievances of the people. He also indicated that the Parliamentary committee which visited the district recently, had also recorded deficiencies in the state administration.

He was candid enough to admit that the people of Kutch had started feeling strongly that they were being discriminated against by Gandhinagar and want to sever their links with Gujarat.

It was because of the Patel Government's none-too-impressive performance that Mr. Vajpayee was shown black flags, which he himself said was the first time anywhere in the country since he assumed office as Prime Minister.

The other marks of protests - such as bandhs, dharnas or even the attempts to stop his convoy by lying prostrate on the roads - were all directed against the State administration but Mr. Vajpayee had to face the embarrassment.

If he could notice the ``shortcomings'' just from discussions with officials, meeting high-level delegations or whatever little he could personally see in between his engagements, Mr. Vajpayee would have learnt a lot if the man on the street had been allowed to meet him.

``You can tap anyone in Kutch and you will hardly find even one person who is happy with the State Government,'' says Mr. Pravin Thakkar whose grocery shop lies under the rubble. He is now trying to make a living out of a small kiosk selling paan and cigarettes on the outskirts of Bhuj. ``This Government is doing nothing for the people and also does not allow us to do our own thing.'' He was seething with anger because the civic authorities have threatened to confiscate his kiosk for encroachment on Government land.

Be they labourers, tea stall vendors or middle class workers, the people of Kutch have developed a distaste for the politicians. ``All of them are playing their own games, no one is interested in people's welfare,'' said Mr. Sanjay Mehta, an unemployed youth.

The affected people in Bhuj could have been rehabilitated much earlier if the re-location decision was taken in time. ``Most of the people were ready to move out but the politicians prevented them because they have interests in the vacant lands in the periphery,'' he said. Anyone who talked in favour of re-location at a meeting convened by the local MLA, Mr. Mukesh Jhaveri, to discuss the issue was silenced by the influential politicians.

The same was the case in Anjar, where the local municipality even adopted a resolution favouring shifting, and in Bhachau, but Gandhinagar decided against it. While in villages the State Government insisted on people's involvement and even gave them the power to choose their own NGO, in the towns the wishes of the majority of the people were ignored to benefit the politicians.

The indecision on re-location has cost a valuable four months in launching clearing of debris, which despite the best of efforts now cannot be completed before the onset of the monsoon. It has given officials cause for worry on the health front. Mr. Vajpayee apparently shared their concern; he directed the Chief Minister to expedite the operation.

Whether his visit will help streamline the State Government's rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts, time will tell. But Kutch at least made two immediate tangible gains, excise duty and sales tax exemptions to industries and commercial houses which could help revive its shattered economy, and additional cash assistance of Rs. 330 crores towards drought-proofing of 300 villages, repairing of school buildings and other educational activities and a modern hospital with medical college to replace the old civil hospital which collapsed in the earthquake.

Otherwise, there was not much in his visit to cheer about nor are the suffering masses of Kutch in any such mood.

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