[Reader-list] cost of the NIC, national wastage system.

[Rajen Uppinangadi]

Dear Taha,

  as I was reading your post, memories took me back in time  to a small
village in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka State.The place is a small
village with about 12,000 population and is surrounded by river on three
sides and hillock on the other side. The road is just across but without
bridge, the villagers have to go a long way on hillock, climb down and reach
after detour of about 15 kms as against just few yards. In the then period
of governance, the MP ws the same, every time during the elections he would
promise the bridge only to forget about it later. Even boycott of elections
had no desiring effect. Then came the young iniative, one group of youth who
were working for the Lamina spring factory, took the matter to identify the
worst villages in the district on different parametres. By this time, the MP
perhaps wanted to show that he is doing "something" about the bridge. But
no, the tender process and the estimation process took all the funds
allotted for the bridge that year, all came to nothing. Rainy season in
Coastal Karnataka is an experience for all, and the youth group decided to
do something concrete about the bridge, they had discussions with villages,
pooled money of about 2 lakhs, bought the cables, springs and made the cable
stayed bridge of 5 feet width, thus connecting the village to the main road,
and moral of the story is the MP after loosing the elections that year could
not recover till today, but has contested again this time.! Citizens today
want the performers and not the politics of hate or appeasement but only
good governance.

Regards,

Rajen.