Mumbai: As Maharashtra gears up for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections, a recent analysis by the Informed Voter Project has revealed significant shortcomings in the performance of the BJP-led Mahayuti government regarding its 2019 election manifesto promises. The study scrutinized the government’s progress in key sectors, including Energy, Labour, Transport, and Water, highlighting a dismal track record.
The report presents alarming findings: 100% of the promises made in the energy sector were rated as having ‘low’ or ‘very low’ performance. The government’s failure to fulfill commitments aimed at strengthening the electricity distribution system, generating electricity from waste, and achieving ambitious renewable energy targets has raised concerns among voters. Specifically, promises such as generating 25% of the electricity needs for state government buildings from rooftop solar energy and the installation of 1,500 MW of wind-solar-hybrid power capacity have seen less than halfway progress.
In the energy sector, the breakdown of performance is stark:
– 80% of promises were graded as ‘very low’ performance.
– 20% received a ‘low’ performance rating.
– There were no promises graded as ‘medium,’ ‘medium-high,’ or ‘high.’
This indicates that the government’s efforts in the energy sector have failed to meet even the most basic expectations, leaving constituents questioning the administration’s commitment to sustainable energy practices.
Turning to Labour and Employment, the report indicated that 71% of the promises had a medium or worse than medium performance rating. The government had pledged to rehabilitate all project-affected persons (PAPs) expediently, pass a Contract Labor Regulation Act to address contract labor issues, and include all unorganized sector workers in pension schemes. However, many of these commitments have not materialized.
While the government did fulfill promises to rehabilitate ex-servicemen and families of martyred jawans, as well as the establishment of IT Parks in key cities to generate employment, many other commitments remain unaddressed. The commitment to create one crore additional jobs has only seen partial fulfillment, and the provision of social security for all workers is far from complete.
In the Labour and Employment sector, the performance metrics are as follows:
– 43% graded as ‘very low’ performance.
– 14% as ‘low.’
– 14% as ‘medium.’
– 29% as ‘high.’
Next, the Transport sector also reflects a lack of effective governance, with 75% of promises graded as medium or worse than medium. Of the 16 promises made, eight were broken, while only four were fully completed. Two promises were halfway fulfilled, and two reached less than halfway, underscoring the government’s struggles in delivering on transportation infrastructure and services.
The transport performance ratings include:
– 50% graded as ‘very low’ performance.
– 13% as ‘low.’
– 13% as ‘medium.’
– 25% as ‘high.’
The final sector analyzed, Water, showed 87.5% of the promises graded as medium or worse than medium. Out of eight promises made, five were broken, while two were halfway completed, and only one exceeded the halfway mark. This raises serious concerns about the government’s capacity to address Maharashtra’s pressing water supply and quality issues.
In the Water sector, the performance breakdown is as follows:
– 62.5% graded as ‘very low’ performance.
– 25% as ‘medium.’
– 12.5% as ‘medium-high.’
The Informed Voter Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating citizens about their representatives and their governance, has called on voters to be more discerning in the upcoming elections. Their slogan, “Don’t Just Vote, Select,” emphasizes the need for informed choices based on actual performance rather than mere promises.
As the elections approach, the Mahayuti government’s failure to deliver on its ambitious 2019 manifesto promises may play a critical role in shaping voter sentiment. With the public increasingly aware of the discrepancies between commitments and actual outcomes, the coming months will be pivotal for both the ruling party and the electorate in Maharashtra. The stark findings from the report serve as a reminder of the responsibility voters hold in evaluating their leaders based on their performance and accountability.