Poll promises by parties out to bleed state economy

As part of freebies, the KPCC president announced 200 units of free power to every house, and Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah has promised 10 kg rice per person per month

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Not bothering about what it does to the State economy, its three major political parties are on a freebie announcement spree, which will only burden the common man with new types of taxes once either of them comes to power.

Already, the ruling BJP has announced financial assistance to every women who runs her house. Close on this, the Congress leader and AICC General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra made an announcement that the party would give Rs 2,000 per month for a period of one year to the leading woman of every household. That means, every woman will get Ra 24,000 per year.

Going one step ahead, Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy has promised complete waiver of loans borrowed by Stree Shakti groups. As part of freebies, the KPCC president announced 200 units of free power to every house, and Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah has promised 10 kg rice per person per month.

The offer of Rs 2,000 per woman per month will burden the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 35,000 crore to Rs 40,000 crore if the number of women is taken to be around 75 lakh of the total 6.6 crore population. Siddaramaiah’s Rice Bhagya will cost Rs 7,000 crore to Rs 8,000 crore.

How will the Congress, if it comes to power, mobilise around Rs 50,000 crore additional funds every year with no further scope for extending the tax net. This is only a sample announcement by the Congress. More such announcements are likely to be made to woo voters.

On the other hand, what the BJP has just announced is only the tip of the iceberg, with many more freebies expected to be made in the State budget to be presented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on February 17. Already, the CM has indicated a rain of offers for voters in the budget.

Once the budget is presented, it will be known to what extent the state exchequer will be burdened with, if this party comes to power. Not wanting to lag behind, the JDS leaders have made the promise of waiving off loans borrowed by farmers both in co-operative and nationalised banks. Let any party come to power, the state’s economy is likely to bleed and the citizens will be the first casualty with new taxes.

Siddaramaiah, a few months ago, had pointed out that the taxes are very high in Karnataka. Still, instead of reducing them, these wise men of the State are going out of their way to rain miseries on its citizens.