By IANS,
New Delhi : Corruption, collapse of institutions, failure of police coupled with a lack of developmental orientation among successive governments are the main impediments in the growth of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous and politically consequential state in India, experts said Friday.
Calling for mobilisation of all political parties in the state to meet the challenges, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) general secretary D.P. Tripathi quipped that “even corruption has become corrupt in the state”.
Speaking at a talk on “Challenges Facing UP (Uttar Pradesh)”, organised by the Observer Research Foundation, he said that the “lack of cultural dialogue and institutional collapse in the state was worrisome”.
Contending the police leadership has failed in the state, former Indian Police Service (IPS)officer Ajai Raj Sharma said “the criminal justice system in UP had broken down”.
Noting that statistics might though indicate a drop in levels of crime, Sharma said it must be seen how “women in the state feel about law and order situation”.
Stating misgovernance in Uttar Pradesh was linked to corruption, journalist Sharat Pradhan claimed that there were no systems working in the state. “They only work when an upright officer comes.”
Saurabh Johri, an Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) graduate, said Uttar Pradesh needs governance reforms including in police along with financial inclusion and skill development of the lower-rung government officials.
He said Uttar Pradesh is struggling to keep pace with equitable economic and social growth and needs to realign policies with the choices of the people for all-round development.
Johri said there was also a need to re-engineer the role of elected representatives in daily functioning so they are able to play the role of a mentor and give constructive feedback.
Journalist Venkitesh Ramakrishnan suggested that the policy environment in Uttar Pradesh should be made “more interactive”.