YAMINI AIYAR R

The Narendramodi government began its tenure by distinguishing its welfare narrative from that of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), pitting “empowerment” against the Congressled UPA’S “rights-” and “entitlements-” focused agenda. “Make in India”, “Skill India”, “Start Up India” were the tools to put India on the road to “empowerment”. Now, as the government enters its final lap, the narrative has decisively shifted. Jobs, skills and startups have given way to a medley of social sector schemes – housing, sanitation, gas connections, health insurance – that are being used to craft this government’s primary political message .

The approach has all the ingredients of PM Narendra Modi’s political style – big ideas, grand announcements and ambitious targets. But a careful assessment of the long-term effects of this approach on our welfare architecture presents a sobering picture.

First, Modi’s penchant for big ideas and ambitious targets has been complemented by a centralised, tightly monitored implementation style. Line ministries and the PMO are in close, regular contact with district collectors monitoring targets. At one level, this has significantly enhanced the pace of work. My colleagues at Accountability Initiative have used government data to estimate that at the current rate, the government is building 2,450 toilets an hour! Another illustration is rural housing. In 2014-15, expenditure on rural housing was a mere 1% of funds available. In 2016, the scheme was renamed Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Budgets increased and spending was ramped up to 85% . However, this increased activity has not been complemented by increased capacity and as districts lurch from one target to another, they have little time for monitoring quality. Accountability Initiative surveys on rural sanitation, for instance, found that once a village/ district met the stated target by declaring itself open defecation free, all work on it stops, even though sustainability is a real challenge.

But the greater worry lies in the consequences of this approach on the relationship between the Centre and states. Centralised control is critical to Modi’s personalised political style as it allows him to bypass state governments and directly access voters. But the institutional consequences are significant. As district collectors become increasingly accountable directly to New Delhi, will