[India] Populism won't go if poverty stays: Maran

from The Economic Times

Justifying the Rs 2 per kg rice scheme and the DMK’s promise to give free CTVs, if voted to power in Tamil Nadu, Union minister for IT and communications Dayanidhi Maran said on Thursday that populism will stay as long as poverty remained.

“It (subsidised rice) is not a matter of pride. Only if there is no poverty we can give up populism,” he told reporters here after campaigning for Democratic Progressive Alliance (DPA) candidates.

In the past, such schemes introduced by state governments have even been adopted up by the centre later, he pointed out. Each state devises such schemes depending on their requirements, he added.

Mr Maran however made it clear that no “cross-subsidisation” would be done to implement the various welfare measures announced by the DMK. He was also confident of finding resources for the schemes. “We would be able to implement them without getting subsidies from the centre,” he stated.

Asked if the elections can be considered as a referendum on the performance of 13 central ministers from the state, he said “it should definitely be so.” He alleged that the state government did not allow the ministers to bring employment generating projects to TN.