This refers to the debate “Has gas pricing policy been mishandled?” (November 8). I wish, even within the limited space, the debate had touched on the wider dimensions of the absence of transparent guidance from the government on ensuring the exploitation of natural resources for public good. Awareness of the pulls and pushes of market forces that are under the control of the rich and powerful globally may have silenced it.
Competition and the “market economy” is not just about winning. These have to be healthy and the success should be sustainable. Our curse is that while ministries in charge of resource mobilisation are manned by an elite and efficient BPL (businessman-politician-lawyer) combine that monopolise the government’s decision-making machinery, sectors like social welfare, health care, agriculture and education are distributed among weak and more “accommodative” politicians. In the Indian situation, the time is not yet ripe for a free market economy to function. As long as we are unable to ensure reasonable farm-gate prices for agricultural produce or a living minimum wage across sectors, it is difficult to deny subsidies to the poor.
M G Warrier Mumbai
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