Zee Media Bureau/Ajith Vijay Kumar
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will complete 30 days in office this week. Armed with a decisive mandate, Modi and his team have taken some bold decisions as they strive to deliver on the promise of `Acche Din`.
While his admirers have appreciated the determined effort to end stasis in governance – the hallmark of the previous UPA government. Naysayers also have a strong voice, especially after Modi warned of a `bitter pill` to pull Indian economy out of the rut it is in.
Narendra Modi may have sought 60 months from the electorate and it`s early days. However, the `aam aadmi`, burgeoned by ever growing inflation and corruption, is already showing signs of impatience to wait for fruits that will grow after the system is changed at the fundamental level – as promised by Modi.
The Modi sarkar has already touched a raw nerve by hiking rail fares. The rationale behind the 14% hike – the first big one after 11 years – has been missed by a large section of the aam janta.
The government worsened matters further by trying to deflect the blame towards the previous government led by Manmohan Singh. If a decision has been taken, the least the government could have done was to stand by it and explained the circumstances that forced its hand.
No matter how important the bitter pill may be for resurrecting the economy, it hurts the common man when it hits his pocket.
The fare hike controversy and the fear of runaway inflation have, to an extant, overshadowed, the positive steps taken by the Modi government.
Decisions like framing rules for his ministers and backing bureaucrats, holds the potential to correctly align the government towards effective governance, however, the biggest challenge before the Modi government is to revive Indian economy. Jobs for youths, increased spending on social and infrastructure sectors can only become a reality if the investment cycle gains strength.
Stock markets may be on a roll but the real impetus for growth has to come from the government. Be it the monetary policy or the removing bottlenecks in project approval and implementation, the government needs to signal a clear intent when Finance Minister will present the NDA government`s first budget on July 10.
India may be restive for positive change but Narendra Modi does need time to bring to reality his vision to build "brand India" by focusing on 5-Ts - talent, tradition, tourism, trade and technology.
IIMs, IITs and AIIMS in all states, 100 smart cities across the country, high speed trains, Narendra Modi has a lot to deliver and he has only 59 months remaining.
