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Polity & Governance
Mahesh

30/08/22 21:30 PM IST

political Parties freebies

In News 
  • The Supreme Court recently called for introspection in the context of political parties’ “freebies” promise, often on the eve of elections to State Assemblies or to Parliament.
Benefits of Freebies 
  • Food security e.g. now-famous mid-day meal scheme in 1982 was initially seen as a freebie and was resisted by the own party members of AIADMK.
  • Awareness generation: Television sets may not be about recreation, they could be vehicles for imparting useful information or they could simply bring the family together, both of which have wider benefits for society.
  • Freebies are not the cause of high fiscal deficit: Duvvuri Subbarao, former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, has proposed a cap on freebies.
  • It is hard to argue that freebies are the sole or even primary cause of fiscal imbalances as a proportion of freebies to the total budget is small.
  • While economics may promote growth but the country also need equity, which can be advanced using freebies.
  • Politicians often have a better understanding than economists do of the ‘merit’ underlying certain freebies. They have a much better grasp of what it takes to change the lives of the disadvantaged or to bring about social transformation.
Supreme Court observation 
  • SC in (S. Subramaniam Balaji Vs Tamil Nadu (2013)) case announced that only an individual candidate, not his party, can commit a ‘corrupt practice’ under the RP Act by promising free gifts.
  • However, Chief Justice N. V. Ramana’s Bench recently told that: There cannot be a dichotomy between a political party and its candidate. What the candidate promises is what his party wants him to promise. The party cannot escape liability.
Source- The Hindu 

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