‘Cong can’t impose its agenda on NC’
Dr Manohar Lal Sharma is the Minister of State for Cooperatives, Printing and Stationery, Elections, Finance, Planning, Industries and Commerce, Higher Education, Science and Technology, Information Technology.
One of the highly qualified ministers in the Omar Abdullah’s Cabinet, Dr Sharma, youngest among five brothers, comes from a simple family of Billawar tehsil in Kathua district.
Following are the excerpts of his interaction with The Tribune team:
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria (RKK): Tell us about your family background, your education and how you forayed into politics?
Manohar Lal Sharma (MLS): My father was a freedom fighter, who later joined the Indian Army. He had won several national awards for his social activities. We are five brothers and I am the youngest one. After my bachelor’s degree in education, I did M.Sc in organic and inorganic chemistry and then completed PhD in agriculture and soil chemistry.
I never intended to join politics, but was a social activist. On the insistence of people, I contested Panchayat elections in 2000 and twice remained sarpanch of my village.
Being a social activist, I also remained affiliated to Nehru Yuva Kendra and several NGOs. In 1997, we launched our own NGO, Lok Jagriti Manch, and waged a war against corruption.
Archit Watts (AW): How do you manage nine departments at a time?
MLS: It is a big responsibility and sometimes creates a lot of troubles, but after I finish my work and return home, it gives me immense pleasure. I love my work and I am ready to take more responsibilities.
AW: Do you find some time for your family?
MLS: Usually, I don’t get time to spend with my family members. Sometimes they show their resentment, but they also understand my responsibilities towards people. I have two kids, a seven-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter.
Dinesh Manhotra (DM): It had been a tradition that the Minister of State for Finance used to present Budget in the Legislative Council, but this time, a Cabinet minister did the job. It is widely perceived that you were not allowed to present the Budget due to your loyalty with a particular faction of the Congress.
MLS: It is not the reason. Actually, it was decided last year that leader of the House would present the Budget in the Upper House. This time, leader of the House RS Chib was out of station so in his absence, Minister of Health presented the Budget. There is no politics in it.
DM: Don’t you think that factionalism in the Congress has badly affected performance of the party?
MLS: I do not call it factionalism; it is rather difference of opinion. It is not necessary that all leaders have same view on all issues, but as far as ideology of the party is concerned, we are all committed to it.
RKK: Why the Congress first remains silent and then reacts when it comes to introduction of controversial Bills like Women Permanent Residents (Disqualification) Bill, which had brought the then Cong-PDP coalition on the verge of collapse.
MLS: There is always some difficulty when it comes to work in a coalition government, but it doesn’t mean that the Congress remains a mute spectator. The Congress is a big party and it has to see all three regions of the state. The Women Permanent Residents (Disqualification) Bill might suits Kashmir-based parties, but not the Congress. It might be possible that Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla had been asked by the Chief Minister not to oppose the Bill in its initial stage, but the party has made its stand very clear.
Ashutosh Sharma (AS): With six portfolios as minister of state and three independent charges, which sector do you think government needs to put more efforts in?
MLS: Genuinely speaking, in almost every sector the state lags behind. Be it science and technology, cooperatives, higher education or any other department. The state needs to do much more. Funds constraint is a major hurdle that has been affecting the functioning of all departments.
AS: Cooperatives have remained the most neglected sector. What you have been doing to improve its functioning?
MLS: We have taken a number of initiatives. As cooperatives are an autonomous body, we don’t have a direct control over them. We have suggested that only MBA, MCA or technically qualified candidates be recruited at the managerial level. Also, measures are being taken to revive the functioning of cooperative banks, colleges and land development bank. Recently, the cooperative bank has issued 60,000 kisan credit cards with rate of interest reduced from 9 per cent to 7 per cent. The rate of interest can go down further.
RKK: A whopping Rs 100 crore expenditure on the stay of government employees in hotels and guest houses and ministers surpassing Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister in TA/DA expenditures running into lakhs of rupees. What sort of austerity measures are these and how can you justify such lavish expenditure by a cash-starved state?
MLS: If the government has to ensure time-bound completion of developmental works then ministers are bound to travel. However, big motorcades should be avoided.
RKK: Around 4.50 lakh state government employees have been agitating for the benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission, chiefly the release of their arrear amount. Is there any breakthrough and how the state government is going to manage?
MLS: We are exploring possibilities and the government is committed to its promise. But having said that, Rs 4,300 crore is required to pay the arrears, including pensions, which is not possible in one go. We are talking to the Union Government, besides trade unions and employees. Though there is no word from the government so far, we would definitely find a way out.
DM: You say that all Congress leaders are committed to the ideology. But it is perceived that party ministers failed to pursue Congress agenda, especially in case of the constitution of delimitation commission and on the inter-district recruitment.
MLS: I don’t agree. We are running a coalition government so it is not possible to impose our agenda on our partner. I want to make it clear that constitution of the delimitation commission is on the top of party’s agenda. As far as inter-district recruitment is concerned, the party has already made its stand clear.
AW: Tell us about your achievements ever since you became a minister in the present government.
MLS: The first thing I did after becoming the minister is that I started completing the work the same day and not even a single file is pending in my office. Now, I have started working on several other projects. We have signed two important MoUs with the RBI. I am also introducing a Bill for cooperatives in this Budget Session, which will surely benefit pubic, as well as cooperative banks and its employees.
AS: Former Education Minister has claimed that professional diploma and certificate courses introduced at the college level during his tenure are not being taught anymore. Is it true?
MLS: It’s not true at all. Most of such courses are being taught along with the main subjects. If there are some courses which are not being taught at present, it’s not in my notice. I will certainly look into the matter. Moreover, we are introducing more professional courses in new colleges as per the demand and availability of staff and infrastructure.
AS: Has the present government abandoned the concept of e-governance that was adopted by the previous regime?
MLS: The IT department is short of staff and which is why websites of the departments are not being updated time to time. We have brought the issue into the notice of the Chief Minister, besides writing to the IT Department. I personally believe that if corruption is to be curbed, e-governance is must.
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