Freebies Must Go
The India Commentary view
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By Our Editorial Team
First publised on 2022-04-05 03:33:06
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The India Commentary view
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It is regrettable that something that should be clearly visible to top politicians has to be spelt out for them by bureaucrats. It was left to top central bureaucrats to flag the rising cost of populist schemes and how they could lead the states to economic disaster in the interaction with Prime Minister Modi. But the secretaries of various departments reportedly flagged the schemes in Punjab, Delhi, Bengal, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, showing that they were not comfortable with raising the issue of BJP-ruled states indulging in such profligacy. It is no secret that the BJP is cultivating a 'labarthi' vote bank in UP that will override caste calculations. It pushed back anti-incumbency in the state by riding on the back of its welfarist policies and further promised to give free electricity to farmers, two free LGP cylinders and free scooters to college-going girls. The opposition is not far behind and AAP promised free power and direct cash transfer to women in Punjab while TMC promised double of what it is giving in Bengal to women and students to lure the Goa voters.
All political parties have veered around to the view that instant gratification in the form of freebies that write-off charges, provide things for free or put money in hand is the best way to get votes. But they do not calculate the costs that these schemes entail. The funds for these populist schemes are always at the expense of other, more urgently needed projects. When people get freebies now, they deprive themselves of better health, better education for their children and better life. States keep borrowing to fund these political excesses and the service cost of these loans falls on the people. Punjab is already a financial basket case and the promises made by APP, if kept, will lead it to disaster unless income rises miraculously. . Calling it a "serious issue", the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Election Commission and the Centre when a PIL was filed against such freebies ahead of the elections in five states recently.It has to be understood that having more and better colleges is more important than giving scooters to girls. The country benefits if the first is done while only the party benefits from the second.
