“More than availability of money, it is the presence of siloes and lack of convergence that is the problem”, Said PM Modi while addressing the webinar on positive impact of Union Budget on rural development.
The term silo is derived from the Greek σιρός (siros), “pit for holding grain. Silos are tall vertical storage towers/containers which are used for bulk storage of grain, coal, carbon black, sawdust, wood chips etc. When the world is now shifting to new technologies and products, being specially designed to unite employees and merge workplaces in more ways than ever before, the Indian bureaucracy is still struggling with the threat of organizational/departmental silos. The reason behind the administrative and work inadequacy of government departments is ‘governance among departments’.
Traditionally the kind of policies and working framework most of the Indian bureaucratic setups generally have are so complex and full of layers that it becomes a cumbersome task to work a way out. Those working in such a setup, have always had their hands full with files (digital and otherwise) to move, reports to send and repetitive bulky processes to follow. Such a routine, when followed for a long time, starts to shatter creativity and block ideas, reducing productive participation. Over time, such an atmosphere turns into an abstract behavioral environment, wherein people begin to show a reluctance towards any kind of ‘Change’, towards ‘New opportunities’, and towards working with a different team, different media, different mindset. The Indian government setup has been experiencing this very syndrome ever since its democratic inception.
SILOcratic nature develops over time, but the fact that the current government has already recognised this as a ‘problem’ and is well-aware of it, brings both relief and ray of hope. The removal of unnecessary laws and regulations and efforts towards ease of doing business and ease of living are some of the much needed reforms which have taken center stage. PM Modi said, “The Budget has made essential allocations for every scheme like PM Awas Yojana, Gramin Sadak Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, connectivity of North-East, broadband in villages”.
Banking on the power of modern technology, many other efficacious initiatives are worth paying attention to, these include Broadband facilities in villages, ‘Vibrant Village programme, that was announced in the budget and is important for the border villages, ‘Financial inclusion’, that has ensured better participation of women in the financial decisions of the families, and the ‘Svamitva Scheme’, which is helping in properly demarcating residences and land in villages (with 40 lakh property cards already been issued). With measures like Unique land identification PIN, dependence of rural people on the revenue officials will decrease. A heartfelt dream of achieving the target of 4 crore water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission with state governments to stay vigilant about the quality of the pipelines and water that is proposed to be provided under the mission.
With great awareness, comes great resolution, which then paves way for betterment and development. This is well reflected in the new measures and initiatives which are seeds of New India, where even rural areas stand strong and empowered.
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