“Freebies versus development: How ‘Revdi’ culture trades off development and results in unsustainable state finances”, First Post, July 30, 2023:
“The country’s richest legislator says his government is too broke to fund development. Karnataka deputy chief minister D K Shivkumar’s assertion that delivering on poll promises will eat up all available resources points to the Revdi culture in Indian politics, and its dire impact on states’ finances.
The five poll guarantees made by Congress, including free power and doles, will cost an estimated Rs 40,000 crore. So, MLAs who wrote to the CM asking for development projects in their constituencies have been told there’s nothing in the kitty for them.
Karnataka is not the only state where a party, having come to power on the strength of extravagant promises, faces the prospect of prioritising giveaways over productive expenditure…..”
Read the full article at Firstpost.com
