Not all subsidies are bad, some promote equity in development: Manmohan Singh

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said not all subsidies were bad and if there were leakages, they ought to be plugged rather than doing away with subsidies altogether as some of them might promote the cause of equity in development.

Addressing a gathering here at the launch of a book written by the late Mahesh Neelkanth Buch, a former IAS officer, Singh said the author had provided thought-provoking ideas for the future development of the country.

He talked about various chapters of the book, which contains 20 articles that are classified under six major themes -- the functioning of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), reforms in police, judiciary and electoral systems, economic policy, social challenges (health, corruption and reservation), governance and environment.

"Mahesh has a very thoughtful chapter on the role of subsidies and I agree with his conclusions that not all subsidies are bad and if there are leakages, they ought to be plugged rather than to do away with subsidies altogether as some of them may promote the cause of equity in development," the senior Congress leader said.

Buch, a 1957-batch IAS officer, was a contemporary of Singh in the Cambridge University.