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Sonia Gandhi set to take over
governance directly. Well, almost!
National
Advisory Council being revived, will lead social agenda of UPA II
WSN Network
 NEW DELHI:
During the first phase of the UPA, Manmohan Singh government was
widely known to be playing second fiddle to the Sonia-Gandhi led
National Advisory Council which had set an ambitious social sector
agenda.
Now, after a few
months into his second stint, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will
once again be superseded, at least the facto, by the National
advisory Council that is being revived.
Congress
president Sonia Gandhi had earlier quit the National advisory
Council because there was some controversy over whether she can head
such an organisation under the Constitution. There was so much hue
and cry that Sonia preferred to seek reelection but somehow the NAC
was never revived again.
Some of India's
best known civil society leaders like Ms Aruna Roy were made part of
the NAC.
Many believe
that the administrative changes in
India
working in favour of the underdog had been a result of efforts of
the NAC. These included the Right to Information Act, the National
Employment Guarantee Scheme, and several such measures.
It is now
understood that Sonia Gandhi has launched a search was some really
respectable civil society leaders and policy experts to be included
in the National advisory Council that may start functioning from
April. The key areas for the NAC this time will be the
implementation of National Food Security Act and the Right to
Education Act, the cornerstones of the government of Manmohan Singh
this time as far as social aspects of governance are concerned.
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The key
areas for the NAC this time will be the implementation of National
Food Security Act and the Right to Education Act, the cornerstones
of the government of Manmohan Singh this time as far as social
aspects of governance are concerned. |
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"It will be
Planning Commission for social sector", said a UPA functionary
familiar with the discussions on what should be the ambit of the
NAC-II.
Congress
leadership has begun shortlisting names for Sonia's new team at the
proposed Council. One of Sonia's party colleagues is likely to be on
the panel.
The agenda for
the revived NAC seems to be in order, with Food Security Act,
Communal Violence Bill and the proposed national law on health and
water seen as priorities.
Sonia quit the
NAC after the Opposition alleged that she had violated the `office
of profit' principle, like Jaya Bachchan who lost her Rajya Sabha
seat on the ground that she had breached the rule requiring MPs not
to hold offices of profit during their tenure.
She also
resigned her Lok Sabha seat to successfully seek a fresh election
from Rae Bareli.
The party
leadership decided against restoring the NAC when Manmohan Singh
started his 2nd innings as it was apprehensive of the petitions
challenging the 'office of profit' law pending before the Supreme
Court.
Her nod comes
after much persuasion from colleagues and legal experts that there
are no issues involved in her return to the crucial job.
FSA is the
mascot of UPA-2's "aam aadmi" plank, like NREGA was in its previous
version.The Communal Violence Bill has been flagged as next big
thing on the party's policy menu. The proposed law gained traction
when the ATR on the Liberhan Commission probing Babri demolition
spoke of it.
The key laws are
likely to lend strong weightage to the NAC in its second avatar.
Resentment among
civil society activists that improvisations in MNREGA were diluting
the focus of job scheme and a failure of the government to allay
those fears have raised hackles in the party. The rising criticism
over delay of 'aam aadmi' measures like FSA and Communal Violence
Bill could see NAC leadning on the government to speed up..
It was a shrewd
political strategy which led to the creation of NAC in 2004. While
the government had a professed "aam aadmi" face, it was felt the
party could appropriate the social dissent by partnering the civil
society in policy planning.
The role played
by NAC in the enactment of the Right to Informatoin Act, National
Rural Employment Gurantee Scheme- a big pro-rural poor measure- and
the Forest Rights Act to give land titles to traditional
forestdwellers, helped Congress with its pro-poor branding.
In the absence
of the Council, Congress leadership let the ministries work on
policy issues,with senior leaders being asked to formulate drafts as
party inputs.
But the gaps
stayed, at least in perception. There were probing questions when
the otherwise historic Right to Education came under fire from
disability activists who said the law did not take care of the
handicapped.
It is also felt
that the NAC maintains a continued dialogue with the society through
activists on board which, given the contrast with government's
opaque ways, helps politically.
17
February 2010
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