The Supreme Court’s strong observation in a hearing on 12 February,25 comes at a time when political parties go all out to woo voters by promising Freebies before the Elections with little concern for the State finances.
Freebies have been defined as “a public welfare measure that is provided free of charge”
Frowning upon the culture of political parties announcing Freebies ahead of elections, the Supreme Court said in a hearing on 12 February,25 that it would be better to integrate people into the mainstream so they could contribute to building the nation.
“Rather than permitting them to be a part of the mainstream society by contributing to the development of the nation, are we not creating a class of parasites?” said a bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih.
The Top Court’s strong observation comes at a time when political parties in Delhi before the Assembly elections held on 5 February went all out to woo voters by promising Freebies with little concern for state finances. Here is the list of such Freebies offered:
BJP
• Rs. 2,500 monthly aid under the ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana’.
• Rs. 21,000 and six nutrition kits for every pregnant woman
• The party has also promised LPG cylinders at Rs. 500 for the poor section, with one free cylinder on Holi and Diwali.
• Increase in the senior citizen pension for people aged between 60 and 70 from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 2,500; and for senior citizens, widows, divyangs and destitute aged 70-plus from Rs. 2,500 to Rs. 3,000.
AAP:
• All existing freebies of free electricity, water and free bus travel for women to continue.
• Elderly citizens over 60 years of age will receive treatment free of cost in both government and private hospitals under the new scheme called Sanjeevani Yojana.
• Cover tenants in Delhi under its free electricity and water scheme
CONGRESS:
• Pyari Didi Yojana, promising Rs 2,500 per month to every women
• Jeevan Raksha Yojana, offering free medical treatment worth up to Rs 25 lakh for every Delhi resident.
• Also promised free electricity subsidy of up to 400 units.
What should be the Way Forward?
• Drawing a Line Between Welfare and Freebies : Freebies must be understood from an economic perspective and connected to taxpayers’ money. o Differences between subsidy and freebie are also essential since subsidies are justified and specially targeted benefits meant to meet specific demands. The freebies, on the other hand, are quite different.
• Clear Rationale and Indication of Funds: Political parties should be required to disclose the financing and trade-offs of freebies to the voters and the Election Commission of India (ECI ) before announcing them. This would include specifying the sources of revenue, the impact on fiscal balance, the opportunity cost of public spending, and the sustainability of freebies.
• Empower the Election Commission of India: ECI should be provided more powers to regulate and monitor the announcement and implementation of freebies by political parties during elections. This would include giving the
ECI more powers to de-register parties, impose penalties, or take contempt action for violating the model code of conduct or the court orders on freebies.
• Voter Awareness: In a democracy, the power to block or allow the march of freebies rests with the voters. Educating voters about the economic and social consequences of freebies and encouraging them to demand performance and accountability from political parties. This would include creating awareness campaigns, voter literacy programs, civil society initiatives, and media platforms to inform and empower voters to make rational and ethical choices.
• Judicial Intervention: A constructive debate and discussion in Parliament is difficult since the freebie culture has an impact on every political party, whether directly or indirectly. Therefore, judicial involvement is required in order to propose measures.
The Supreme Court has suggested setting up an expert committee to look into the issue of freebies and their impact on the economy and democracy. The committee would consist of members from the Niti Aayog, the Finance Commission, the RBI and other stakeholders. The committee would make suggestions on how to control freebies given by political parties during election campaigns.
• Focus on Inclusive Development: It would address the root causes of poverty, inequality, and exclusion that make people vulnerable to freebies.
Inclusive development would also create a more conducive environment for economic growth and social progress, which would benefit all sections of the Society in the long run. Therefore, inclusive development can be a more effective and desirable alternative to Freebies.
It can be understood well through the following Quote :
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”.….. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu
