Aren’t loan waivers for rich freebies: DMK to SC | India News
[ad_1]
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu’s governing party DMKin its submission before the Supreme Court on Saturday on the PIL against poll freebies, said, “What is the justification for wanting to prevent welfare measures like food, education and travel subsidies for the poor and downtrodden but continuing to give large tax breaks for corporates? This is the culture we need to end, not target the hungry stomach of the farmer or the educational aspirations of a child from the poor and downtrodden people.”
However, TOI looked back at a 2019 internal report of the RBIwhich stated that Rs 3.12 lakh crore of public money distributed as farm loans has been waived off by both the central government and state governments in the last 11 years (2008-19) as part of promises made ahead of elections.
DMK also listed out the welfare measures in TN – midday meal, Rs 2.5 lakh assistance for widow remarriage, free electricity to agricultural sector, free housing sites to Adi Dravidas and lower economic caste persons, Rs 5,000 assistance to marriage of girls who studied up to Class 8, Rs 5,000 for inter-caste marriage assistance, insurance scheme for lower economic strata, free healthcare in government hospitals, free colour TV to poor families, Rs 1,000 per month for girl child joining diploma or graduation course, 100% funding for students joining IIT-UG from government schools.
It said all these welfare measures have not made TN a poorer state. “Instead, it has contributed to its development and reduced the high gap in income inequality. These welfare schemes have been instrumental to propel TN to be amongst the top three states in terms of GDP and industrialisation. Eighteen of the top 100 education institutions are located in TN,” it said, adding the weakest section of the society only stands to benefit from such economic welfare schemes labelled as “freebies”.
“Due to such prosperity, inward migration from other states has increased to 8.3%, which highlights the fact that people from other states want to migrate to Tamil Nadu. The free healthcare facilities in Tamil Nadu are unparalleled in this country,” it said and invited PIL petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay to live in TN for a few years to understand how social welfare schemes can uplift a society as a whole and contribute to the happiness of the people.
It said that these welfare schemes usher in prosperity by fixing fundamental flaws and provide upliftment of weaker sections by enabling them to compete with the privileged class, which ultimately will make them self-sufficient to improve their standard of living.
However, TOI looked back at a 2019 internal report of the RBIwhich stated that Rs 3.12 lakh crore of public money distributed as farm loans has been waived off by both the central government and state governments in the last 11 years (2008-19) as part of promises made ahead of elections.
DMK also listed out the welfare measures in TN – midday meal, Rs 2.5 lakh assistance for widow remarriage, free electricity to agricultural sector, free housing sites to Adi Dravidas and lower economic caste persons, Rs 5,000 assistance to marriage of girls who studied up to Class 8, Rs 5,000 for inter-caste marriage assistance, insurance scheme for lower economic strata, free healthcare in government hospitals, free colour TV to poor families, Rs 1,000 per month for girl child joining diploma or graduation course, 100% funding for students joining IIT-UG from government schools.
It said all these welfare measures have not made TN a poorer state. “Instead, it has contributed to its development and reduced the high gap in income inequality. These welfare schemes have been instrumental to propel TN to be amongst the top three states in terms of GDP and industrialisation. Eighteen of the top 100 education institutions are located in TN,” it said, adding the weakest section of the society only stands to benefit from such economic welfare schemes labelled as “freebies”.
“Due to such prosperity, inward migration from other states has increased to 8.3%, which highlights the fact that people from other states want to migrate to Tamil Nadu. The free healthcare facilities in Tamil Nadu are unparalleled in this country,” it said and invited PIL petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay to live in TN for a few years to understand how social welfare schemes can uplift a society as a whole and contribute to the happiness of the people.
It said that these welfare schemes usher in prosperity by fixing fundamental flaws and provide upliftment of weaker sections by enabling them to compete with the privileged class, which ultimately will make them self-sufficient to improve their standard of living.
[ad_2]
Source link
