Supreme Court criticises election freebies: ‘People not willing to work’

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court criticized the practice of announcing freebies before elections during a hearing, noting that it encourages people to avoid working since they are receiving free rations and cash. A Supreme Court bench made up of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih voiced their disapproval of the trend of providing freebies prior to elections while addressing a case concerning the right to shelter for homeless individuals in urban settings, the report indicated.

“Unfortunately, because of these freebies… the people are not willing to work. They are getting free rations. They are getting amount without doing any work,” said Justice Gavai.

The bench also observed that homeless people should be included in mainstream society and allowed to contribute to the nation’s development.

“We quite appreciate your concern for them, but would it not be better to make them a part of the mainstream of society and permit them to contribute to the development of the nation,” said the bench.

The Centre is in the process of completing the mission for urban poverty reduction to tackle various problems, such as offering housing to the homeless in cities, attorney general R Venkataramani informed the bench.

The bench subsequently requested the attorney general to verify the duration required to implement the Centre’s mission. The case is set to be reviewed six weeks later. The Supreme Court additionally addressed a request for access to public hospitals and schools for Rohingya refugees on Wednesday, stating that there will be no discrimination against any child in education. The court has scheduled a hearing for the petition for next week.