Hyderabad: G. Ranjith Reddy, the TRS MP from Chevella, accused the Centre of punishing states which perform well on various development indices during the devolution of funds. Reddy was speaking at a panel discussion on “sustainable policy-making” held as part of the Policy Conclave at the Indian School of Business.
The panel included Madhya Pradesh minister Jaivardhan Singh, BJP MP from Odisha Aparajita Sarangi, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MP from Odisha Amar Patnaik and YSRCP MP from Andhra Pradesh Lavu Krishnadevarayulu.
Mr Reddy, a businessman-turned-politician, said that the devolution of funds happens after an assessment of states on the basis of 16 parameters, including population and change in green cover.
“We have seen that when a performing state like Telangana does well in controlling its population, it gets a lesser amount of funds,” he said.
The TRS MP said performing states need to be given some kind of an incentive while deciding the devolution of funds.
The panel indulged in a heated debate on the culture of distributing freebies and sops to the general public.
Mr Sarangi, while trying to defend the NDA government’s economic performance, claimed BJP’s approach towards the matter was a “sustainable” one as opposed to an “ad-hoc” one. She threw shade at the Biju Janata Dal government in Odisha, indicating that it had won only because of freebies.
Ms Sarangi also attacked the former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan, who had recently said that the government was focusing on its social and political agenda more than the economy. “I expect no less from Rajan,” she said.
She added that she was an “eternal optimist” when it came to the economy, adding that it was necessary to be unpopular initially if one chooses to refrain from distributing freebies.
Mr Krishnadevarayulu, the YSRCP MP from Narsaraopet, was asked to explain the freebie culture in Andhra Pradesh.
“We may call them freebies, but we can’t look at them like that. It is important to understand that these freebies are solving a problem. For instance, if girls are getting a bicycle, the benefit to the economy from more women in education is very high. We cannot discount the larger picture,” Mr Krishnadevarayulu said.
