Freebies and high subsidies are gradually becoming essential ingredients of electoral politics in Chhattisgarh. As polls are round the corner, all political parties are busy formulating populist schemes to woo the voters.

It all began in 2003 when the BJP, while in Opposition, promised in its manifesto a series of populist schemes, including free cows to each tribal family in the state. It’s a different thing that the Raman Singh Government ended up providing free oxen after facing a shortage of cows.

Free footwear to tribals engaged in plucking tendu (Beedi) leaves from forests, free textbooks to schoolchildren, free cycles to schoolgirls from below poverty line (BPL) families, free uniforms to SC, ST students, free kits to traditional barbers, free potter’s wheels to potters, free pilot training to SC, ST students and even supply of copies of revenue records free of cost to the poor are among the many other freebies doled out by the BJP Government.

Besides, there are many schemes with high subsidies as part of the Government’s efforts to “reach out” to the poor. Tribal families are being supplied salt at 25 paise per kg and a full meal (cooked rice and pulses) for Rs 5 at the state-sponsored ‘daal-bhaat’ centres across the state. Apart from these, farmers’ loan to the tune of Rs 106 crore has been waived off.

Raman Singh welcomed 2008, which is also the Assembly election year, with his most populist Rs 837-crore scheme, aimed at providing 35 kg of rice every month at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 3 per kg to each of the 34 lakh BPL families in the state. This scheme has directly benefited about 65 per cent of the state’s 21-million population, and the ruling party is hoping to ride on this scheme to retain power in the Assembly elections scheduled for November.

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