The
food security bill gives people something for nothing and thus weakens the work
ethic. Giving people virtually free food will keep them dependent on a ‘mai
baap party’, trapping them into a permanent vote bank. It is a brilliant
strategy of the Congress party at the centre — both the voters and the party
will thus have a vested interest in keeping people poor and dependent.
The
bill plans to distribute grain to two thirds of India’s population at a 90 per
cent subsidy costing over Rs 1, 00,000 crores. To bring up the food
security bill government will increase indirect taxes. If the same Rs 1, 00,000
crore were to be spent in providing public goods — roads, schools, power, and
law and order — it would encourage entrepreneurs to start businesses, which
would create sustainable jobs and raise the state’s tax revenues. Past
experience shows that less than half the food in such programs reaches the
intended beneficiaries. Hence, this bill might produce another scam when half
of the 50 million tonnes of grain are diverted to the black market — a scandal
that this scam tainted government cannot afford.
There are other serious risks associated with the food security bill.
The fact is India just cannot afford this colossal spending. The latest budget
shows how vulnerable are the nation’s finances and the way to its downfall
