New Delhi: Supreme Court The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board on Thursday walked away from its promise to provide free power to consumers irrespective of their financial status.The Supreme Court issued a notification to the Center and other agencies on the request of the DMK government proposing to provide free electricity. A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant slammed the freebie culture adopted by states and political parties, saying it was hampering economic development.The Supreme Court added that most states in the country are running revenue deficits but neglect development while providing such freebies.“The economic development of the country will be hampered by this generous allocation and yes, it is the responsibility of the state to provide. But those who enjoy the freebies…isn’t that worthy of attention? ” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant attended orally.“We know there are states that offer free electricity, even if you are a big landlord… you keep the lights on… the machines on and so on. If you want a facility, you need to pay. But the state government says the money is going to be paid now… who is going to pay? It’s taxes,” he said.The court said it was aware of what happened in recent elections in some states where welfare programs were suddenly announced ahead of the elections.The court clarified that the issue was not limited to any one country, but to all countries in the country.“We are not just looking at the Tamil Nadu context. We are looking at the fact why these plans were announced before the elections. All political parties, sociologists need to take a fresh look at the ideology. How long will this continue?” the CJI said.“We’re not talking about one state, we’re talking about all states. This is planned spending. Why don’t you come up with a budget proposal and say this is my justification for spending unemployment for people,” Justice Joymaria Bacchi added.
