Open House: Do you think the AAP Government’s decision to give free power has been taken in right earnest?

Remove this malady from our system

Fulfilling promises of freebies like free power units, is going to cost very heavily for the debit-ridden financial health of Punjab. It is not just how cheap free power is going to be but how expensive it will be for state’s economy which will certainly lead to its fiscal disaster. Politicians must keep in mind that their populist freebies programme burdens the exchequer and deprives the people of much needed welfare schemes. This is a cross-party, across-ideology tendency and though governing parties at the Centre are also indulging in this leading to fiscal deficient practice, but this is vote-getter populism incitement is much more evident in the states going to polls. In Punjab’s AAP government has already fulfilled their promise of 300 free units per month from July and Rs 1,000 per month to each household may be announced soon too. Punjab has followed Delhi model of freebies and Himachal Pradesh hasn’t lost much time to announce free power sops to voters in view of its run-up to its assembly polls. When any government spends more on its populism schemes than its revenue/ total income, it is bound to face the fiscal deficient, which will deprive that state of its spending on other development schemes. The price that the freeloaders and other taxpaying citizens incur from financing the politicians’ populism schemes after heavy borrowings and entailing long-term interest payments is not going to be a small one. As freebies are taking a very heavy toll on the state’s financial health, all funds for critical social expenditure are the one which get sacrificed. Since our Election Commission has shown it inability to control this culture of freebies, our Parliament which has majority in both the Houses, must pass a legislation to remove this malady from our electoral system.

MS KHOKHAR

Reduce power tariffs instead of free units

The decision may prove to be a jolt as it will cost the state exchequer a whopping Rs 5,000 crore, including the previous subsidies. The joint families may get their meters split to benefit from this scheme which is a lopsided one. Also this is not a one-time expenditure but a never-ending drain on the public exchequer. How can the government whose coffers are said to be empty think of distributing freebies? Besides there is a huge power shortage as most of its power plants are not functioning at optimum levels. Moreover, it is not economically viable for a debt-ridden Punjab having a debt burden of Rs 3 lakh crore to distribute freebies. Both the government and the PSPCL are under severe financial strain. Hence, the government would do well to learn from Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and avoid doling out freebies. Instead it should lower the power tariff. It will surely hit development hard and allocation of funds to other sectors. Implications of such sugar-coated schemes could be disastrous for Punjab, Punjabis, future generations and development of the state.

Tarsem S Bumrah

Unwise dole of power to people of state

A casual look at the power bill indicates how complex the problem is. There are hundred odd total entries for charges and allowances, dates, etc under 10 heads. The reverse carries a code for determining the status of the energy meter and the rates of consumption. Nobody can fully explain who invented this rigmarole. What is its use? And now the AAP government has announced free electricity to those households who consume up to 300 units per month or 600 units in a bi-monthly cycle. I wonder if any one had ever asked for free electricity. The only demand of the Punjabis was continuous and unfluctuating power supply to all, but perhaps at a cheaper price. It is obvious that the intention is to please the poor who don’t have power-guzzling ACs and radiators and usually consume even less than 200 units. Now they will make the most of this concession, and consume more to avail the full potential of 600 cycle limit. On the other hand, those who usually consume slightly more than 300 units in a month will try to use less and be eligible to claim the benefit. I think the mean of at least six cycles should determine the eligibility for this concession. However, the intention to further categorise beneficiaries into Scheduled Castes/ General Category will create problems. The fine print in this concession is yet to appear from the government. By and large this is not a wise step from the Mann government because unlike Delhi, Punjab is already reeling under a back-breaking debt. It is case of borrowing to dole out. There certainly is more politics in it than meets the eye. The government will earn the gratitude of the masses if it truly and objectively dissects the borrowing behaviour of past governments as it has claimed to do.

PROF MOHAN SINGH

Try to explore new sources of revenue

‘Thirukkural’ the ancient Tamil text asked the ideal King to “Speak sweetly, give generously and protect powerfully”. Hence following the above saying DMK and AIADMK started the freebies during their popular regimes in Tamil Nadu. The south state is economically doing very well therefore they can afford such freebies whereas our state is already burdened under the huge debt of Rs 3 lakh crore. So before venturing into a scheme like 300 units free to every household every month, state government should try to explore new sources of revenue. One such source is illegal encroachment of 6 lakh acres of government land in the state. State government should make efforts to get such land vacated and earn money from it and then launch such welfare schemes. In the Tribune dated May 20, 2021 detailed news under the heading 6L acres encroached in Pb, but no action on report was published but no action taken yet. Further in Amritsar Tribune of April 6, 2022 Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal confirmed 50,000 acres under illegal occupation of politicians, will get it vacated. So here is a time to tap such resources and give relief to the public but not by further burdening the exchequer.

Naresh Johar

Govt should think about all aspects

Everybody is witnessed with Punjab’s debt-ridden condition. Meanwhile, government is offering 300 units of free electricity to its consumers. Critics hold negative view that this is just freebie and make addition to already debt accounted approx Rs 3 lakh crore. Predominantly, AAP authorities won because of these promises made by their politicians to general public. Now, controversy arises on announcement of fullfiling these promises. People are wondering how the massive amount of debt could be repaid if these freebies are provided. May be government has such other suitable plans to make balance between different sectors. This decision may have impact on financial health or can prove beneficial also if administration must have contemplated about the all aspects of investment.

Sukhmeet Kaur

Reviving economy more important

The state’s economy is already in doldrums being heavily debt ridden. In view of this offering of 300 free units of power t its consumers by Aam Aadmi Party government will have great adverse impact on economy. Although the decision was taken by government keeping in view its election manifesto, but it’s not in the right earnest. This is because govt is already lacking funds, debt ridden and at this juncture it will certainly hit development works and allocation to other sectors. Nothing is more important than reviving debt ridden ailing economy and any freebie will greatly hamper it.

SANJAY CHAWLA

Zero tolerance on corruption must

The AAP leadership knew that the state that they are going to take over is debt-ridden. Even the Delhi government inherited bad fiscal health. Free 300 units per month or any other such commitment like Rs 1,000 per month to all 18 and above women that they have made will be honoured provided their topmost commitment of zero tolerance for corruption gets honoured. It’s going to be the foremost and the biggest challenge before the new Punjab government since corruption has become synonymous with governance and administration. The question is if the diversion and pilferage of state revenue and funds could be stopped by the new government. If people’s expectations are not belied on this count, Punjab will see all-around development, especially in education and healthcare, free electricity and other public welfare measures notwithstanding.

HL Sharma

Govt should shun freebie culture

Punjab is inching toward Sri Lanka type economic crisis that erupts due to fiscal mismanagement resulting in food and fuel scarcity leading to civil unrest. The cost of 300 units of free electricity will burden the state exchequer by Rs 4000 crore. It is time to learn from the happening in the neighbourhood before it reaches at our doorstep. The government should shun the freebie culture and take steps to bridge the debt-income gap to save the state from financial bankruptcy. Since thermal power units run on coal is costly affair, government need to work on alternatives for a cheap source of electricity generation. The government should focus on improving power infrastructure for un- interrupted power supply. The free electricity will take toll of other on-going & future development work due to paucity of funds. There is need to establish new medical, engineering, and aviation, hospitality colleges for employment generation & to halt the brain & drain from Punjab. The free power bonanza will ruin the Punjab economy to a ‘bimaroo’ state, a term coined for a sick economic state.

Anil Vinayak

Less people will benefit from it

Implementing the decision will not have much impact on the state’s debt-ridden economy as many people will not come under this scheme. The decision is taken very mischievously by the Aam Aadmi Party as there was no information about the different conditions for people of different categories before the elections. I don’t believe that allocation of resources to other sectors will be affected much because many people will be left-out from this scheme.

JATINDERPAL SINGH BATTH

Move will put more burden on people

The offer of this government to give 300 units of power to its consumers, free of charge, is not a wise and good one. Already the people of backward and SC community are given free power up to 200 units. This maybe appropriate. But why 300 units to every family in the state? Already the state government is under debt of Rs 3 lakh crore and it may worsen further. The farmers are already being given free power. But why to all farmers? This should only be to the farmers who have about five acres of their land. Why give free power to rich farmers like Badals and others of the same ilk. This will only worsen the burden further on the public. Punjab Government is following the Delhi model. B the Delhi Government already has good finances in their kitty whereas Punjab doesn’t. It will definitely hit the development in other sectors like health, education and other institutions as well as infrastructure.

Dr JS Wadhwa

QUESTION

With some students again testing positive for Covid in the recent past and the district administration issuing an advisory on wearing masks at crowded places, should educational institutions continue with offline classes or revert to online mode of teaching amid fourth wave scare?

Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (April 28)