Jean Dreze dropped from list at DEC

New Delhi: A controversy erupted on Friday over dropping of noted economist Jean Dreze from the list of speakers at the Delhi Economics Conclave organised by the finance ministry and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Dreze was a member of Sonia Gandhi led NAC. He was to speak at the conference on Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile. Mr Dreze later on put his speech on a news portal in which he spoke of dangers fraught in government’s push for high-tech cash transfers as a foundation for social policy.

Mr Dreze told a news agency that he was informed of his name being dropped from the panel of speakers at the conference two days ago. “..I am deeply disappointed, and also concerned that the Conclave has turned into a mutual appreciation society with everyone on the same side,” he said.

Mr Dreze claimed that he was told he would not even be allowed to attend the Conclave. “On the train to Delhi (two days ago), I received a call from a functionary from the finance ministry who explained, with some embarrassment, that I had been dropped from the programme and would not even be allowed to attend. No reason was given,” he said.

However, chief economic advisor Arvind Subramanian, who had sent the letter of invitation to the economist played down the matter, saying that the cancellation was due to “last minute adjustments” in the schedule of the conference and it had nothing to do with his views. “As soon as we had decided, we informed Jean Dreze about it. Just want to make clear, this has nothing to do with views, because the finance minister personally called the Kerala CM. It is not based on views or anything and everyone is welcome to attend,” he said. He said Nandan Nilekani, who headed UIA during the UPA regime, “is of course going to have prominent seat in the programme”.