The dole mela is well and truly on. And in a new style of politics, witnessed since the last elections, direct unofficial doles in the form of hard cash, liquor, television sets, sarees and even scooters and motorcycles have been replaced by government schemes — for girls, elderly women, senior citizens and most importantly the able bodied youth who can well afford to work.
While help for the weaker sections cannot be denied, social welfare schemes (that’s what they call them) have in fact become the single pivot around which electoral fortunes hinge
And opposition parties have been quick to realise that the one single factor, even after the BBSM came along and the Dhavalikar brothers had to be dropped, that could keep the BJP vote together is the plethora of government schemes, especially the Ladli Lakshmi and the Dayanand Social Security Schemes. The money in hand, albeit restricted to one beneficiary of such schemes per family led to many households managing to make ends meet without toiling too much.
The internal surveys conducted by the BJP have revealed that the biggest cause for the party’s support continues to the social welfare schemes topped by the cashless medical insurance scheme which allows poor patients access to swank private hospitals. And the party has not even bothered to pretend that this had no political motive. In remote villages private hospitals have put banners and posters informing them how they can now visit private hospitals for treatment, thanks to the BJP government.
The AAP, quick to respond, started politically scheming with new schemes, going down to the lowest common denominator of desperation politics. It announced this week that it would pay people more. Instead of ensuring that, at least for the youth, the avenues of growth, employment and empowerment are created, the AAP plans to make its doles better than the BJP’s doles.
AAP played Santa on the eve of Christmas with its scheme promise overflow, with an attitude of an emperor with a licence to empty the treasury. Here are the details of its dole mela :
n Every eligible family member will be provided financial assistance.
n Mamata scheme beneficiaries will now get Rs 50,000 instead of the current Rs 25,000
n One time financial assistance under Ladli Laxmi scheme will be doubled to Rs 2 lakh.
n AAP Yuvak Scheme of a monthly allowance of Rs 5000 to all unemployed boys and girls above 21 years.
n Rs 3,000 each under the restructured Griha Aadhar and Dayanand Social Security (DSS) schemes.
n A DSS scheme for HIV/AIDS patients, and split the DSS scheme for persons with disability and provide monthly assistance of Rs 3000, Rs 3500 and Rs 10,000
Of course the BJP has questioned from where will AAP get the revenues to fund this magnanimity and AAP has hit back saying that the CM is rattled. But let’s not get into these banal fun and games and ask the moot question whether it has all boiled down to scheme bribery (barring what is really needed for the sick and the aged) in the garb of government support.
Instead of spending on skill creation, bringing employment avenues to the doors of the people through a very strong job policy, the AAP seems to be following the BJP in getting more and more young people to lead a life depending completely on the government. The fact that this will put a huge strain on the state’s economy is a side effect of this.
In an election which may not throw up a clear majority winner, it all boils down to finding the best and the shortest road to getting that one additional elusive vote.
And as they say, it’s all schemes and scheming in the time of political war.
