Doing Away With Political Appointments

By Jawahar Manandhar

It is a matter of great satisfaction that the government has decided to end the system of appointing political persons to head the government- run public enterprises.

It has come as a great relief to all the concerned that there would be no more political interference in the day to day administration of these enterprises. If this is strictly followed it can be hoped that the deteriorating condition of most of the public enterprises will be rather enhanced. The system of appointing people politically which was started in the Panchayat System was given continuity in the multiparty system too.

Even after a decade of the restoration of multi-party democracy the successive government could not check its temptation to reward their workers and as a result the trend of political appointment in the corporations and industries continued unhindered.

But how far these political appointments have been effective in raising the condition of these enterprises are there for everybody to see. Although the decision to end political appointments is a positive sign the pathetic conditions of the PE raises some questions.

This question crops up in the mind simply because most of the general managers and heads or chiefs have been working there since many years and reached there not because they have shown or done anything exceptional for the enterprises but due to the knack of being in the good book and being yes man of the ministers or secretaries whenever there is a change of guards in the government.

Moreover, by getting time bound promotion does not necessarily mean these people would have the required qualifications, competence, outlook, vision to run the enterprises effectively. The report of the loss of over Rs nine billion during the last ten years in these public enterprises clearly indicates the competency of these heads or the chiefs.

Agreed that it is due to the excessive political interference and the responsiblity lies on the politically appointed chairmen or the executive chairmen but are not these people from within too responsible? There has been a tendency among most of the chiefs of these public enterprises to wait for the instructions from the concerned ministries to initiate any action even for such job which lies in their own authority.

Against this background how far it will be effective to improve the condition of these enterprises by handing over to them who do not have any commitment and feeling of responsibility towards their own offices except their own selfish interests?

It should aslo be kept in mind what the speakers at a seminar held recently had to say about the capabilities of those who join administration. They say only the 'rejected brains' are joining administration more and more whereas the 'best brains' have opted for other professions. The Public Enterprises Service Commission to be formed soon will do a great job for the nation if it keeps in mind this fact before recommending the names of people who will take up the position of heads or chiefs of the public enterprises.

A certain exception can also be envisaged for the appointment of exceptionally talented people to run these enterprises as some of the politically appointed chairmen too had shown their capabilities in improving the condition of them and it is also equally true that these enterprises run by the people from within has gone from bad to worse.

Art Review
Water - Eye Of A Landscape

By Our Correspondent

Although acting and painting are two genres of art, they are as separated from each other as the banks of a river. And only a few people have interest in such a diverse forms of art. However, Gautam Das Tuladhar is engaged in both the genres. Tuladhar for many people is an actor. But the recent exhibition of his paintings has revealed another facet of Tuladhar as an artist. Basically, Tuladhar was an artist. He had completed Diploma in Fine Arts three decades ago.

Then he found himself playing with canvas and colours. He had even organised an exhibition of his paintings way back in 1973.

"That time I had thought painting could be my career." Soon, he felt some kind of monotony, lifelessness engulfing him in painting.

Then he sprang upon acting. 'Without thinking of any pros and cons I jumped into films," he said.

After years in front of cameras, Tuladhar again got weary of playing other people. "I realised that all this was no more than acting -- a portrayal of absurdity."

Then the artist-turned-actor reverted back to painting. Still, he says, he would not leave acting completely.

His ten-day-long paintings exhibition, which concluded yesterday (Saturday), on ÒNature and ArtÓ proves that he is still attached to painting.

Moreover, it can be said that he has matured as a painter. His sense of combining colours while copying nature on canvas is very near to the nature itself. Of the 48 paintings, three were sold during the exhibition.

A prominent feature of the exhibition is that all the paintings are in one way or the other related to water.

ÒWater is necessary for life. So is it for beauty and one can not imagine art without beauty," he says. There is nothing in the world which will be beautiful without water, Tuladhar adds.

There are rivers, streams, fountains and lakes and one can see water either on the river or slowly passing through the brookfields, or jumping from the mountains or hurrying through the fountains or lying still on the lakes.

His acrylic on canvas on Syambhu, Rani Pokhari, Dancing River, and Beautiful Environment were some of his much appreciated paintings at the exhibition.

The prices range from Rs. 7,000 to 90,000.