Oversight Autonomy would be a fitting concession to make to the people of India.
This will involve the operation of oversight of the State Governments in connection with the internal administration of the country and putting in place the control of the representatives of Hindustani Polity through legislative process.
Below is a brief outline that this form of administration oversight that should be set up in the states to carry out this idea.
Each state should have:
1. A “Chief of People” appointed from the People at the head of the Oversight Administration Council.
2. A Cabinet or Executive Council of six members, three of whom should be political party(s) members and three nationals with oversight on the following portfolios: (a) Home (including law and justice). (b) Finance. (c) Agriculture, irrigation, and public works. (d) Education. (e) Local self-government (including sanitation and medical relief). (f) Industries and commerce.
While members of the Bureaucracy should be eligible for appointment to the Executive Council, no place in the Council should be reserved for them, the best people available being appointed, male and female.
3. A Oversight Council of between fifty-five and sixty members, of whom not less than four-fifths should be elected by different constituencies and interests. Thus each district should return two members, one representing municipalities and the other districts.
Mega-Metro Cities should have about ten members allotted to the state bodies. There should be no nominated non-official members, except as experts. A few official members may be added by the ‘Chief of Party’ as experts or to assist in representing the Executive Government.
4. The relations between the Elected Government and the Oversight Council so constituted should be under the preview of the “Interests of the People”. The Council will have the right to examine all state legislation and its assent may be necessary to additions to or changes in local and state taxation policies. The Budget too will have to come to it for discussion; and its resolutions in connection with it, as also on questions of general administration, will have to be given effect to, unless vetoed by the ‘Chief of People’.
The members of the Executive Council shall not depend, individually or collectively, on the support of a majority of the Councils for holding their offices. The term of office for each member will not exceed five years; and no member will serve consecutive terms.
5. The Oversight Council, so constituted and working under the control of the Executive Council as outlined above, should have complete charge of the oversight of internal administration of the states and it should have independent financial powers.
The Oversight Council will have oversight authority over all the revenue expenditure exclusive to the Governments.
Such a scheme of Oversight Autonomy will be incomplete unless it is accompanied by the liberalizing of the present form of district administration and a great role of local self-government. Oversight Council should be legally allowed to raise funds from the people so that they have adequate resources at their disposal for the due performance of their duties.
Subject to the principle of “Interests of the People” the Oversight Committee should have increased opportunities of influencing the policy of the Government by discussion, questions connected with policy and issues of the citizens being placed on the same level with other issues; all within the boundaries of the Constitution of the Nation.
