Thread by @thewire_in

The govt of Uttar Pradesh recently published an advertisement in prominent newspapers in which it said it was looking to "engage a consultant to boost the size of the economy of Uttar Pradesh to $1 trillion in five years (2022-2027)". | Ganga N. Rath
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A function which so far has been the preserve of the government officials and economists working in planning and other departments is likely to be outsourced to external agencies.
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Is the Uttar Pradesh government's attempt to outsource economic planning an expression of 'no-confidence' in its bureaucracy, planners, economists, ministers and chief minister, or is it a (modest) administrative-bureaucratic breakdown?
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It is not that governments cannot engage consultants.
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Which elements of work must be done by the government itself and which ones should be outsourced?
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for instance, cannot completely outsource the framing of monetary policy to an outside agency, such as a consultancy firm or a think tank, however efficient and reputed the agency may be.
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Entrusting the planning process to outsiders comes with its attendant risks.
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Consultants chosen to undertake such an exercise may mainly consist of personnel who may lack an understanding of local conditions and people's aspirations in general.
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Today it is economic planning; tomorrow it could be internal security and law and order.
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The days when political leaders will just marshal money power; abuse electronic media; resort to pre-election economic munificence as a quid pro quo for getting elected; and, post-victory, leave governance to outsourced agencies, are not far away.
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This will add a new meaning to a 'government of the people, by the people and for the people'.
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UP CM @myogiadityanath, with 20 years of legislative and administrative experience – is expected to have mastered statecraft and means to achieve economic progress by channelling resources at his command instead of shifting responsibility to consultants.
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@myogiadityanath Most importantly, aiming to achieve the goal of becoming a one trillion dollar economy in five years – that is, growing the economy to four times of the current Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) – may not, by itself, be social good.
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@myogiadityanath Concerns have been expressed recently that the concentration of economic powers in the hands of a few and blatant crony capitalism may fail to achieve an equitable and just society.
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@myogiadityanath After all, isn't an improvement in the general standard of living of the people the ultimate aim of any planning process?
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@myogiadityanath Read Ganga N. Rath's full report here:
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