The production of local papers cannot meet the country's demand, and the market is flooded with huge imports. even the students have to rely on imported paper, and we talk about development in the education sector, without bothering to redress the shortcoming in the infrastructure. Recently, there was a near crisis in the printing industry, threatening delay in marketing of the textbooks at the beginning of the session.

Before 1971, the national development corporation shouldered the job well. With each passing decade, the more we develop, the more weaknesses are revealed in planning and management. This ad hoc approach is an illness in the society; we are caught napping most of the time, whether it is politics, crime, law and order situation, energy, gas, electricity, telephone, or you name it. Similarly, the jute industry has limped to the grave.

The civil service is experienced, and the Planning Commission and associated agencies know their jobs. It is tempting to cite one conclusion; poor foresight and judgement in governance, and absence of practical feedback network at all levels. Bureaucracy is top heavy, centre of gravity high and unstable. The public service systems are not allowed to operate in a healthy, routine manner, due to extraneous pressures and influences. There are numerous examples, which ordinary citizens, without technical and professional background, could cite. We are complaining all the time, and feel uncertain about solutions at the official and formal levels.

Take the launch disasters in the IWT sector: 4,000 perish in a decade (DS front-page headline, Feb 22). The monga situation in the northern districts is not new, but every year, similar grievances are ventilated. The session jams at the public universities have reached notorious proportions, suspected to be due to politics. It appears none can control the politicians. We are developing Frankensteins!

When politics becomes a source of business, business becomes rotten. What we have is more than paper famine.