Lok Satta finds fault with parties

Hyderabad: Welcoming the restrictions being imposed on ‘freebies offer’ in election manifestos, the Lok Satta Party termed opposition to Supreme Court’s directive as ‘undemocratic’. In a media statement, DVVS Varma party State vice president felt the political parties which were crying foul turned people into voting machines by implementing populist schemes in the name of welfare and were only pursuing vote bank politics.

Referring to the parties that contended restrictions on offer of freebies, Varma pointed out that political parties in the past lured voters by distributing money and liquor. In the recent past, they were trying to garner votes by also promising individual benefits. But what is the point in offering free TVs, mixies, cell phones and thalis in election manifestos? The Government cannot abuse the exchequer to further its vote bank politics, he said.

Varma demanded that a law be enacted on the lines of the fiscal responsibility management Act to limit the money spent on welfare schemes to 15 per cent of the budget. “In the absence of any such limit, governments are opting for populist schemes like food security and extending them to even the ineligible.”