Gujarat Grabs United Nations Public Service Award

Gujarat has done it again. For two consecutive years Gujarat has managed to bag the United Nations Public Service Award. In 2009, Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO) of the State government won the award for fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms. This year State Wide Attention on Grievances with Application of Technology (SWAGAT) has won the UN Public Service Award in the category improving transparency, accountability and responsiveness in public service. Gujarat is the only State in India to win this award for the second time.

WASMO aims to promote, support and monitor the community participation and community based management in water and sanitation projects in an equitable, sustainable and transparent manner. WASMO trains Pani Samiti members to effectively plan, implement and manage water supply systems, handle their finances, and spread awareness on personal hygiene and sanitation. SWAGAT operates on the principle that grievance redressal is essential for good governance especially to vitalize a democracy. Every month the Chief Minister considers grievance cases through multi-video conferencing with all 26 Districts and all 225 Taluka Offices. SWAGAT is outcome focused and cases are redressed on the same day or in a time-bound manner. This is the first time that the common citizen can access the highest level office with other officers present in real-time through video-conferencing.
Will such recognitions help to re-define the image of Gujarat and Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the backdrop of the 2002 violence? The Congress expressed displeasure when Amitabh Bachchan appeared as the brand ambassador for the Gujarat Tourism Industry. Will everything related to Narendra’s Modi’s Government in Gujarat continue to be viewed with contempt? What happened in Gujarat in 2002 needs to be condemned but for how long will 2002 continue to cast a shadow on the present and future of Gujarat?  It’s sad that in a country with a dismal record of public service the achievements of Gujarat are not being duly celebrated.