Vijay Phanshikar’s article in ‘Footloose’ column in ‘The Hitavada’ CityLine dated June 4 strikes at the heart of a problem that has become routine in Indian governance. A bridge misses deadlines, a road is redesigned after construction, a flyover develops defects, or a project’s cost doubles. Citizens suffer traffic jams, inconvenience, and financial losses, while taxpayers ultimately foot the bill. Yet, the most important question remains unanswered: Who is held accountable? The real issue is not merely delayed projects, but the absence of consequences for failure. In private organisations, missed targets affect careers and compensation. In Government, however, cost overruns, design failures, and repeated delays often result in little more than another deadline extension. Public money is treated as if it has no owner, even though it belongs to millions of taxpayers.

 

The solution lies in creating a culture of visible and personal accountability. Every public project above a specified value should publicly display the names of the approving authorities, engineers, consultants, contractors, and supervising officers. Citizens have a right to know who is responsible for decisions made with their money. Equally important is the introduction of automatic accountability mechanisms. If a project exceeds its approved cost or misses deadlines due to negligence, a mandatory inquiry should begin without waiting for political approval. Promotions, increments, and postings of responsible officials should be linked to project performance. Proven negligence must carry financial and administrative consequences.

 

Citizen participation can further strengthen oversight. Independent citizen audit panels comprising retired judges, engineers, architects, chartered accountants, and civic representatives should periodically review major projects and publish public report cards. Transparency is often the strongest deterrent against inefficiency. The greatest sin is not a delayed bridge or a flawed road. The greatest sin is a system where public failures have no consequences for decision-makers, but impose enormous costs on ordinary citizens.