Tag: planning commission

Parsi fertility

India, Media
Comments

On 4/6/2012 Indian Express on page 6 carried a report – Minority Ministry revives funds plan for infertility treatment in Parsi community. The report was repeated on page 7. The editor was perhaps dozing when it was done.

Minority Ministry wanted to provide financial assistance for infertility treatment of Parsi women. Planning Commission had rejected the proposal. Now Minority Ministry has approached Planning Commission again.

It is not for Minority Ministry to increase or decrease population of any community or to tell a community to reverse the trend of late marriages or no marriages. It is for each community to take care of itself. Marriage is a personal choice. Government should stop child marriages and marriages below legal age that take place in many parts of India.

Parsis may be an endangered species in India but not in the world. Many Parsis have migrated to Canada, USA, UK and other countries. There is no threat of Parsis becoming extinct.

There are many Parsi industrialists like Tatas, Godrejs, Wadias who can help fellow Parsis to marry early. Bombay Parsi Panchayat helps Parsi couples with children.

Tribals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands are facing extinction. Minority Ministry can save them by preventing encroachment of their territories.

Poverty alleviation

India
Comments

There is a debate about poverty line in India. NAC members have attacked Planning Commission. The debate is mainly about Rs.32 as poverty line in cities.

The definition of poverty changes according to place and time. Poverty can be absolute or relative. Absolute poverty may be removed but relative poverty will be there.

Planning Commission and NAC should be abolished. That will save lot of money. Auctioning of Yojana Bhavan will get crores of rupees.

There should be no subsidies and freebies. Various schemes meant to help poor increase poverty. There is corruption and wastage. Food grains rot in godowns.

Even when there is no corruption and wastage, expenses incurred on managing schemes lead to taxes and borrowings which harm the poor. Borrowings means RBI printing notes which leads to inflation which brings down the value of money. If any government buys rice for Rs.20 and gives it for Rs.2 the difference of Rs.18 has to be made up. Besides people employed for buying and selling need to be paid. There are transport and other costs. Either people pay more taxes to make up for shortfall or extra notes printed make the value of their money go down. If the government does not buy rice, people will buy it for Rs.20 or less and they will not have to pay indirectly for subsidy and other costs. Food grains will not be wasted in godowns. People will not have to starve.

Central and state governments should stop borrowing. That will end inflation and help the poor. Borrowing generally means RBI printing notes and giving to governments which do not return the amounts.

Abolish Planning Commission

India
Comments

Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath has called Planning Commission an “armchair advisor”. On 5/7/2010 he publicly criticised the Planning Commission. He was not happy with its approach. He gave the example of Delhi Airport Terminal 3. He asked one official “How did you do it?” He got the reply “Planning Commission and their people had nothing to do with it.”

USSR had Five Year Plans. India imitated USSR. Planning Commission was established for Five Year Plans. It is time to put an end to Planning Commission and Five Year Plans. In a free market economy there is no place for such things.

Planning Commission’s projects have resulted in displacement of large number of people. There are delays and cost overruns. Factories turn white elephants. Many Public Sector Undertakings are making losses. Inflation increases.

Ministers who are unhappy with Planning Commission should speak up their mind. The country will be better off without Planning Commission. The money that will come from the sale of Yojana Bhavan will bring down budget deficit.

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