Montek questions growing freebies

Economist and former Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia today warned against the culture of ‘freebies’ being promised by all political parties. He also went on to highlight how share of defence budget allocation in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had been declining since 1991.

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Experts discuss ind0-pak ties

• During a seminar, former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria on Saturday said there could be a rapprochement with Pakistan. He added that India’s relationship with Afghanistan had created “traditional strategic paranoia about India” in Pakistan.
• TCA Raghavan, another former High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, said New Delhi’s approach of not holding a discussion with Islamabad since the LoC was peaceful was a “wrong approach”.

He was speaking at the annual seminar on ‘India’s security challenges’ organised by the Delhi Forum For Strategic Studies (DFFSS) here.

Ahluwalia, who was the chief guest, made a point on freebies saying today we have an absolutely crazy explosion of ‘revris’ (freebies) both from the Centre and the states.

He warned: “We are spending huge amount in dysfunctional and unproductive manner and if we don’t sort it out it will be worsen in times to come. This not a party matter, all parties are guilty of this.”

On the defence budget, he said: “Our growth rates improved after 1991, but the share of defence budget in the GDP declined and this comment is not on the present government,”

In the 1980’s, we had a 3 per cent of the GDP going to defence. “It is not to say that we should have 4 or 5 % of the GDP for defence allocation but the present 1.7 per cent is not enough. Our spending is not enough,” Ahluwalia added.

He also questioned the use of terminologies for having contributed to decline. “Peace and tranquillity at the border with China kind of lulled everyone to not plan for a war with China. This assumption of peace and tranquillity has to be done away with. I am not saying we are going to war. But be prepared,” Ahluwalia added.

Earlier Lt Gen Kaml Davar (retd), who heads the DFFSS, gave an overview of the security scenario. Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (retd) speaking about use of air power cited how the Sukhoi 30-MKI can carry the Brahmos missiles.