What distinguishes welfare measures from freebies? (The debate on freebies in politics)

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 What distinguishes welfare measures from freebies? (The debate on freebies in politics)

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Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

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• FIRST PERSPECTIVE:

1. Derogatory labels: Media often labels schemes like MGNREGA derogatorily, even when basic health and education are concerned. Why do we have governments at all! Water, sanitation, electricity are not doles. 
2. Welfare measures: If State spending itself is considered not legitimate, then what will be legitimate? "Leave nobody behind" must be the core of public policy (more than more roads, say)
3. Public goods and services: Things like sewage, drinking water, transport, health must be provided. 
4. Merit goods: Health and education qualify as market will not deliver it satisfactorily to all.
5. Fiscal management: These worries focus only on expenditure and not revenues. As on date, at Central level too, actual spending on these sectors is too low.
6. Each scheme needs separate evaluation: For all states, the good or bad of any scheme has to be evaluated separately. Revenues too can be generated from welfare schemes.
7. Crony welfarism: Yes, it can always be a problem that selective targeting is done, but that is a problem even with infrastructure projects (some firms favoured over others). Make it universal, at least in some welfare sectors.
8. AAP in Delhi: They must now introduce nutritious superfoods (eggs in MDM and ICDS) and focus on kids upto 6 years. Scale up the Mohalla clinics. Focus and work on pollution, public transport, sewage and drinking water.
9. Avoid useless costs: Expensive CCTVs serve little purpose. Go for better streetlights. Home delivery of PDS is a bad idea, as corruption will rise (which otherwise in a public place is lower - at the FPS).
10. Fight indignity: Just looking at the poor sleeping outside AIIMS as their family member gets treated inside should remind us why welfare is necessary.

• SECOND PERSPECTIVE:

1. The term "freebie": Delhi's AAP govt. did not dole out freebies really, but worked on providing basic services in health and education etc.
2. No term like that: There is no term in economic like "freebies" and it's an elitist construct.
3. Fiscal management: For a govt., with limited fiscal means, it is a tough choice to decide allocations between welfare and non-welfare. The line is blurred.
4. Stability of revenues: Delhi govt. has stability of revenues thereby ensuring confidence in running welfare schemes.
5. Disposable incomes rise: When welfare schemes give free transportation or electricity, people get extra disposable income in hands, that helps push the economy in a slowdown.
6. Good versus bad welfare: These are context-specific. Cycles to girls going to schools make great sense, and has a positive effect. MGNREGA is a great scheme that's being underplayed now.
7. Crony welfarism: Governance structure are built in any state around its own heterogeneity. As long a govt. doesn't actively abet corrupt contracts-doling out, it's fine to have targeting.
8. AAP Delhi: Security of females after sunset is one area needing a lot of work.

• Summary : The debate on welfare measures versus freebies rages on. Presenting two perspectives on the same.

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