Devolution of power leads to greater success, says PTR

Mumbai: Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, the finance minister of Tamil Nadu was in the news recently when the Supreme Court took notice of a statement, he made during a television channel debate questioning the role of the apex court in adjudicating on the issue of freebies offered by political parties to voters. Observing that freebies will continue to destroy the economy unless there is a conscious decision taken by all political parties to stop such hand-outs, the top court asked political parties to find a resolution to the issue and said that a new three-judge bench would take up pleas to review a 2013 Supreme Court judgment that said some freebies were related to directive principles guiding a state’s policies.

Explaining his stand, the minister, who was in the city on Thursday, quoted article 37 of the constitution (which made the implementation of the directive principles of state policy the sole dominion of the state legislative and not the courts), he said, “When I say that the court does not have any place in certain debates, I’m only quoting the constitution. I’m not denigrating anybody.”

“I was a bit surprised by the Supreme Court’s recognition. If I had really crossed any boundary, they should have cited me for contempt or hauled me up in some way. Or, they should have stayed above the fray,” he later added.

PTR, the abbreviation the minister usually referred to by, was in Mumbai to address the first Anil Dharker Literature Live! Independence Lecture, instituted in the memory of the journalist and founder of the literature festival, who passed away last year. Striking a strong note for federalism, the minister in the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, said that the Centre must curb its instinct to create laws that force the hands of states given the immense difference of socio-economic markers of progress across the country.

“We need a significant devolution of power. We are the most centralised, least effective form of government anywhere in the world today. From large countries like communist China to capitalist America, the devolution of power to the state, county, town and village, from school boards to police forces are run by local bodies. Taxes are set by counties and local bodies. Industrial licenses are given by cities in China. Here, we have everything in one place.”

“The luxury of devolving power and putting it close to the people is that it greatly increases the chance of success,” he said, offering an instance from Tamil Nadu, where the government recently started a pilot programme to offer breakfast in schools. The state gives the money to the panchayat, which in turn creates self-help groups composed of the mothers whose children attend these schools. “The money will be handed to these groups to not only procure supplies, but also cook the food and feed the children.” This would also greatly reduce any likelihood of corruption, PTR argued.

A focus on women’s education would greatly enhance the country’s progress, PTR said, adding that the Finance Commission does not incentivise states on the basis of the percentage of girls in schools, or access of women to property rights.

“We must incentivise states for the empowerment of women and children. The correlation between menstrual hygiene and girls staying in school is huge. If they stay in school, they delay getting married, which in turn leads to lower maternal and infant mortality rates. They have healthier babies and you get a lower fertility rate. This creates a virtuous cycle,” he explained.

PTR also spoke about the health of a democracy and the importance of coalitions which produce better governance as they “take everyone along”. While social justice was one component of a harmonious society, another was freedom of speech and expression, the minister said. “There is no all-knowing, all-seeing person. This is heresy for religious people, and it’s plain unscientific for rational people, that anyone human being can be that brilliant. That’s what cults are for, and not what normal people in a democracy should talk about. The more dialogue we have, the better our decisions,” he added.