When governance forgets its priorities

 At the heart of Karnataka’s current crisis lies a simple but piercing question: what should come first for any government — motorable roads, timely payment of salaries to its own staff, the upkeep of hospitals and educational institutions, or the reckless distribution of resources in the name of welfare? When a state is unable to perform its most basic duties, continuing expansive handout schemes becomes not only questionable but morally indefensible.

The government has admitted that more than ₹75,000 crore is being spent annually on various guarantee schemes. This colossal expenditure, undertaken amid dwindling revenues and growing debt, has drained the treasury to a point where even regular salary payments are delayed. Departments are reeling under financial stress; funds for maintenance of public infrastructure have dried up; and essential services are fast deteriorating. The state’s financial architecture today resembles a structure weighed down by promises it cannot afford to keep.

Nowhere is this collapse more visible than on the state’s roads. Across Karnataka, from the capital to the remotest taluk, driving has become an ordeal. Potholes, unattended repairs, and incomplete works make commuting unsafe and costly. Hospitals, meanwhile, are struggling with shortages of medicines and staff, and government schools and colleges remain neglected, with grants pending for months. These are not just administrative lapses — they reflect a deeper fiscal disorder born of misplaced priorities.

Governance is not about spending more; it is about spending right. A government’s first responsibility is to ensure that its machinery functions smoothly — salaries are paid, services are delivered, and public infrastructure is maintained. Welfare programs can be justified only when the foundational systems of the state are sound. Today, Karnataka finds itself at the opposite end — a state where populism has overtaken prudence, and financial management has become reactive instead of planned.

If the treasury cannot meet day-to-day obligations, it is time to pause and reassess. The government must restore balance between its moral duty to provide welfare and its administrative duty to sustain the state. Citizens expect not grand announcements but honest, functioning governance. Before promising new benefits, the government must first fix the roads, pay its employees, and keep hospitals and schools running. Anything less is an abdication of its core responsibility and a betrayal of public trust.