Like land transfer; free mixies, grinders are asset creation: S Narayan
Chennai: Objecting to describing the free schemes provided by successive governments in Tamil Nadu, as freebies, former economic adviser to former PM A. B. Vajpayee, S. Narayan remarked if land transfer (for the poor) in rural areas is construed as asset transfer, then providing free mixies and grinders too fall in the same category.
“If Communists are talking of land reforms and distribution of land as an asset transfer scheme, then why can’t the mixie and grinder be an asset transfer scheme also if the lady can benefit? So, in a rural atmosphere you are ready to talk about asset transfer as an economically viable scheme,” Mr. Narayan said while replying to a discussion held under the aegis of Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) here on Tuesday, on his book: The Dravidian years: Politics and welfare in Tamil Nadu, that was brought out earlier this year.
Similarly, the distribution of cows can be said to reduce poverty. Free power to farmers, for instance, is definitely a development scheme but if it is extended to a farmer owning over two acres land, then it would only lead to depletion of groundwater, thus destroying the environment. “So, are you doing a service?” he asked.
Contending that the free schemes of the successive governments in TN are “welfare with a focus” Mr. Narayan said he would not call them as freebies – a word created by the media. “The focus must be related to some kind of economic activity and it should produce further service,” he added.
Taking a positive view on the opposition to NEET in the State, the former bureaucrat said this only showed that people want to be educated. He averred that the work culture of both the state machinery and government are oriented towards development and not “lethargic” as can be seen in some of the north Indian States.
Mr. Narayan provides an insider’s view of 50 years of Dravidian rule in Tamil Nadu in his book furnishing case studies of the successful policies and programmes under the regimes of MGR, M. Karunanidhi, and J. Jayalalitha.
