01-06-2011, 01:02 AM
SOCIAL WELFARE MEASURES FOR AAM ADMI
Ever since Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary of the Congress Party, coined a new descriptor Aam Admi for the common folks of India, UPA government being led by her mother
who is the President of the party, a number of social welfare policies have been undertaken.
In its second term UPA government implemented a policy guaranteeing 100 days of employment to the rural poor of India with Rs.40,000 crores borrowed as public debt. These funds were given to the needy/deserving districts but through their state governments. People must have benefited to some extent although many contrary news & incidents of misuse were reported even when the wages were paid through banking accounts to ensure complete transparency and accountability.
Similarly. by declaring education a fundamental right, the school going children of the poor and scheduled castes and tribes were given monthly stipends and daily lunch. UPA government, no doubt, is succeeding in spreading universal literacy.
In more recent days UPA government proposed a pension system for the self employed and those people who donââ¬â¢t have a pension scheme. This Aam Admi Scheme so far hasnââ¬â¢t become well known or successful and almost two years have elapsed.
And finally, a new medical insurance scheme for pheriwallas or street vendors was proposed and is probably being enforced. They have been offered free Medicare upto Rs. 30,000/- annually, with premium being covered by the government itself. Again, it appears in its very birth the proposed social measure is not being well received.
All these wonderful vote getter measures make one wonder if these were ever thought of or asked for by the very Aam Admi these were designed for. For example, how can the poor send their children to school when they canââ¬â¢t even afford a school uniform or transportation? Some very poor are given free uniform although up to 50% of the uniforms and books purchased never see the light of the day, let alone these children ever receiving them.
Medicare for street vendors is almost being ignored because most of them are more concerned with free loaders who harass them daily with free demands of fruits, vegetables, smokes etc.
Thus most of these AAM ADMI social welfare measures in their very design are likely to fail; these are in their very nature half baked ideas and out of touch with reality and the real problems people face in India.
Ever since Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary of the Congress Party, coined a new descriptor Aam Admi for the common folks of India, UPA government being led by her mother
who is the President of the party, a number of social welfare policies have been undertaken.
In its second term UPA government implemented a policy guaranteeing 100 days of employment to the rural poor of India with Rs.40,000 crores borrowed as public debt. These funds were given to the needy/deserving districts but through their state governments. People must have benefited to some extent although many contrary news & incidents of misuse were reported even when the wages were paid through banking accounts to ensure complete transparency and accountability.
Similarly. by declaring education a fundamental right, the school going children of the poor and scheduled castes and tribes were given monthly stipends and daily lunch. UPA government, no doubt, is succeeding in spreading universal literacy.
In more recent days UPA government proposed a pension system for the self employed and those people who donââ¬â¢t have a pension scheme. This Aam Admi Scheme so far hasnââ¬â¢t become well known or successful and almost two years have elapsed.
And finally, a new medical insurance scheme for pheriwallas or street vendors was proposed and is probably being enforced. They have been offered free Medicare upto Rs. 30,000/- annually, with premium being covered by the government itself. Again, it appears in its very birth the proposed social measure is not being well received.
All these wonderful vote getter measures make one wonder if these were ever thought of or asked for by the very Aam Admi these were designed for. For example, how can the poor send their children to school when they canââ¬â¢t even afford a school uniform or transportation? Some very poor are given free uniform although up to 50% of the uniforms and books purchased never see the light of the day, let alone these children ever receiving them.
Medicare for street vendors is almost being ignored because most of them are more concerned with free loaders who harass them daily with free demands of fruits, vegetables, smokes etc.
Thus most of these AAM ADMI social welfare measures in their very design are likely to fail; these are in their very nature half baked ideas and out of touch with reality and the real problems people face in India.