Letters: The subsidies ritual

Shreekant Sambrani's article "Telling good subsidies from bad" (February 24) vividly explains the adverse impact of subsidies on various sectors. Subsidies are aptly compared to cholesterol - being bad for most parts, but good for some. There is a need to eliminate the unwanted and undeserved subsidies to ensure optimum utilisation of scarce resources and equitable distribution of essential commodities. The Directive Principles of State Policy decry the undue enrichment and it is the duty of the government to safeguard the interests of the people. The need of the hour is to chalk out a programme that figures out where, how, when and to whom the subsidies are issued. This should not be a vote-drawing gimmick. The author clearly explains the practice followed in other countries and suggests how subsidies should be extended and not be made a ritual

D Sureshbabu Hyderabad

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