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Cash and carry

The lack of a big theme or campaign message from any of the major nationwide alliances with general elections just a month away is somewhat surprising. The current economic scenario would charge an election campaign almost anywhere in the world — it did in the US. One wonders why there aren’t a ....Read more

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Election agendaBy: Ramchandra Reddy | Tuesday , 10 Mar '09 14:46:17 PM Reply | Forward I live in US where things are getting as bad. With all the sham and drudgery,after traveling 40-50 countries I find that India is still the best place to live. Anyway, there are three words for salvation,eliminate monster corruption. One suggestion: When I was there sometime ago, I noticed this program called ,forgot the name,where the workers are paid directly by the post office pass book to do work in the villages upto 90 days. Actually 80% of funds were not spent because the officers didi not get his percentage and he was not motivated to administer the program. A minster with whom I traveled fired two of them on the spot for not spending the allocated funds which will expire otherwise. Why could not the government extend such programs for 300 or 400 days and get the infrastructure , roads,schools,canals and especially latrines built. I am told 60-70% of the people do not have latrines. Creating jobs, reduction of poverty in not elimination, no inflation fears.

God save IndiaBy: Vinay | Tuesday , 10 Mar '09 2:08:25 AM Reply | Forward Give money to everyone. And Enjoy. It will solve everyone's problems. Dont work. Get Money is the message. Its not socialism anymore. Its communism. I dont like NREGS, but its better than this foolish program. Where do you think the money is going to come from? Thin air, printing presses or external borrowings? Indian rs. will trade at 80 to a $ if these kinds of things are continued. The poor family getting cash would still be poor because the money given to them would not overcome the inflation generated by these schemes. 45 years of socialism before 1992, and people still do not get it. It does not work. Period. Have capitalism with regulation and lot of these issues will go away in next 2 decades. These politicians only look at vote banks. I though at lease media would take a positive approach. But its disappointing to read this kind of articles.

AtrociousBy: A | Monday , 9 Mar '09 21:05:14 PM Reply | Forward TDP has gone bonkers. It had vigorously resisted Congress govt freebies till now and suddenly has made a U - Turn. Can't believe TDP can reverse stand on such important issues at this juncture.You remove poverty by giving good education, health care and providing employment opportunties for the masses. Not by giving out money as if people are beggars. Everyone please support Lok Satta Party in AP, which has the right ideas and I believe is the party which is actually changing the face of AP politics.Author, what do you think of TDP's free color TV scheme? This is the most absurd scheme.

CASH AND CARRYBy: G.V.R.MURTY | Monday , 9 Mar '09 15:46:07 PM Reply | Forward The prescription of synergizing good economics with good politics is completely unsuitable to the current gang of AP politicians. We do not find them capable of practising good politics, observing their rowdy style character in the AP Assembly time and again. They are also neither capable of practising good economics as it is a difficult guess: how many MLAs have known anything called 'economics'. It is the misfortune of the country that caste based politics only are preferred practised, where AP is the front-runner. If Chiranjeevi comes to power, we may be able to call it:"A GOVERNMENT BY CINEGOERS".

CHEATERSBy: Robert | Monday , 9 Mar '09 15:08:32 PM Reply | Forward until the foolish masses are here, these politicians will try to fool the people. Farmers are committing suicides every day that brings out tears from our eyes. But these cheating politicians are bringing new populist schmes to fool people instead of bringing new development schemes. I REQUEST HONEST PEOPLE OF ANDRA PRADESH DONT ELECT THESE TYPE OF CHEATERS.

simple is uglyBy: am | Monday , 9 Mar '09 15:05:51 PM Reply | Forward Are you gone nuts? Only programme with leakages can work in India.

Cash for poor and Honor StampsBy: Som Karamchetty, PHD | Monday , 9 Mar '09 5:09:59 AM Reply | Forward It is generally good to transfer cash to poor people. Some infrastructure should be built for it. There should be web based lists by village and ward naming the recipients. The use of debt cards may be partially linked to ATM’s and partially to shops which sell rationed items. Such openness, linkages, and analysis of spending will eliminate or reduce corruption. The card recipients should be asked to give certain number of hours of their time back to the government. Let us call these hours honor stamps. The government might sell or donate such time to small businesses and farmers. The transactions with honor stamps should also be on a smart card and listed on a public web accessible database for transparency.