A compulsive urge ahead of polls

The bypoll to Huzurabad Assembly constituency whenever held is likely to throw up an interesting fight. It is likely to be even more exciting than the Dubbaka bypoll where the BJP had upset the applecart of TRS. At that time the pink party was overconfident the BJP could do nothing. By the time reality dawned on it, it was too late. Having learnt a lesson, this time the TRS does not want to give any chance to former minister and BJP candidate Eatala Rajender. Though technically, TRS in no way would be affected, if it loses this seat, it has yet made it a highly prestigious fight. In fact, it has become Eatala vs KCR.

The fighting spirit of KCR is very well appreciated. But the question is at what cost? Political parties need to ponder whether it is right to go in for announcing massive welfare scheme with the polls in mind without adopting a practical approach. No one is against welfare schemes as there are still large sections of society which need a handholding. But the schemes should be tailored such that benefits reach targeted beneficiaries in a phased manner. There is a grandmother's saying that one should spend one-fourth of the income for welfare activities. But the reality is to the contrary.

The state economy has already taken a nosedive amid the pandemic. The intention of empowering Dalit families by giving Rs 10 lakh to each family is appreciable. But, such grandiose schemes wherever they are launched, be they in Telangana or at central level, should have a time-frame and be rolled out in a phased manner.

The real catch is here. What is that phased manner and how much time would it take? The life of an elected government is five years. It may come back to power if it continues to enjoy the goodwill of the people. That is a different issue. When planning is done, it should be for a period of five years and whatever has been promised should be achieved during that period. New promises can be made during next elections. Unfortunately, none of the governments, at central or in states, is doing so. Instead, they are competing with one another in launching schemes involving huge amounts. It would be better if they lay foundation for creating a strong and skilled India. They should focus on quality education of downtrodden sections, provide skill development from young age and help them launch startup companies. Some cash benefit component can also be there.

The central and the state governments need to put a brake on competitive populism and ensure that people become self-reliant in terms of skills and stop depending on cash doles. Will such an ideal situation ever arise? This is the trillion-dollar question. Why not Parliament or state assemblies discuss such issues rather than stall proceedings, resort to physical attacks on ministers or members of other parties and waste taxpayers' money?