PRIVATISING / OUTSOURCING FOR WHOSE FUTURE?

The buzz words these days are outsourcing and privatising, where government or semi government organizations give away their assigned jobs and responsibilities to private parties. As we all know, the organizations are provided with adequate manpower, initially to carryout the jobs and the government is held responsible if the jobs are not done or not done properly. Now, due to the so-called manpower shortage or growing indiscipline in the government workforce, city services and even the sensitive jobs/responsibilities of some of the departments are outsourced under very small pretexts. The long term results of such actions are bound to be:
1. Favoritism in giving the contracts to “connected” people. Opinions of expert committee’s comments will be ignored. More often, such procedures may not be followed or followed for namesake only.
2. Contractors may not be suitably qualified for the job. The actual job responsibilities, as written on the contract are not known to the supervisory level staff or not transparent.
3. Due to the corruption while giving the contract, not much control can be exercised over the contractors by the departmental supervisors.
4. The existing staff members recruited for the jobs will be wailing away their time doing nothing or doing personal things and waiting for the retirement. Redeployment of specialist workers is difficult.
5. In due course of time, the hold of private organizations over the essential services, such as water supply, supply of electricity will result in resistance to comply or non-compliance with the requirements stipulated by the government. Public will be at the mercy of private organizations. Government can wash off their hands blaming private organizations?