Editorial

Relieving Country from Politics of Relief

The state-financed relief, except in the case of natural disasters, is invariably a barter deal of political sympathy at the expense of tax-payers’ money. The governments that consider the populace as the subjects of their mercy choose to ‘distribute’ reliefs and pompously publicise them. The conditions for ‘distribution’ are true chicanery with a predetermined beneficiaries partially favoured by the ruling party.

The twelve-point ‘relief package’ announced last week by the coalition government led by Dr Baburam Bhattarai has all these inherent objectives, from gaining cheap popularity to selectively awarding the UCPN-Maoist Party cadres. First, the whole package looked so ridiculous with provisions like reducing the meat prices for the festival including the Chhath, observed in Terai with fasts or eating purely vegetarian foods. Second, it also incorporated the highly contentious political issues like returning the land and properties confiscated during the decade-long Maoist free-run in the country. Third, the  promise of controlling corruption made through the package was proved farce  within matter of days by the people like Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar who had  his secretary transferred just because the latter refused to coalesce his acts of protecting criminals in exchange of handsome incentives. Fourth, by design, the intended beneficiaries of major cash allowances and incentives are those cadres of Maoists party who so ‘selflessly’ fought for the nation and suffered by losing their organs, kiths or kins. Fifth, it has made impossible claims like reducing the power-cuts, without any sign of production increase in foreseeable future. And, claims of extending support to ‘sick industries’ is as vague as in such announcements of the past that never got implemented for policy and processing complexities.

In a nutshell, such relief packages are easy cushions for the government that is ineffective, visionless and believes on window dressing of the problems of very serious nature. Effective governments believe in ensuring efficient public service delivery so that prices of goods and services automatically go down, perhaps many time that a government decreed price controls. Such efficiency should not always come from the government. If law and order and security problems are solved, market competition among the private sector players would automatically ensure the fulfilment of the public needs.

But in present day Nepal, the government presence is hardly felt, security situation is precarious and market distortions are rampant. Apparently, this is exactly where the role of the government is sought more than announcing such relief packages. Though might sound cynical, every government of dictatorial tilt of any hue takes pride in announcing frequent relief packages. That means, such a government is happy to see more poors than the prosperous people so as it could repeatedly establish the rationale of ruling by posturing as ‘merciful and caring’. This originally dictatorial and socialist tactic has now diffused to the politics of vote bank and appeasement. The Bhattarai package does not look much different to these objectives.

Primarily, the activities of the UCPN-Maoist Party and its affiliates have constricted the economic, industrial and other employment generating possibilities of the country. Anarchic trade union activities, essentially anti-private sector remarks from the Party rank and file and absolute lack of confidence amongst investors on the commitments made and policy predictability of the Party are the real problems where Dr Bhattarai’s vision and efforts should have been concentrated. But, corrections on these aspects are nowhere in sight. Perhaps never contemplated too. And, any hastily designed relief package like the present one can never be substitute to long term, pragmatic economic vision. The sooner can we relief the country from the politics of relief, the faster it will progress.