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Originally Posted by tajender My problem is, there is virtually non existent public transport and that forces me to drive a car to work and other places. The cities are no longer pedestrian friendly, there are no walkways, there are no by lanes and there is no way I can walk to my destination even if it is walkable distance and I chose to walk that distance.
What PC has to say about it is that if someone is well off enough to own a car, he shall be charged higher tax. Acording to him, rich people should be charged taxes at higher rates. I dont think we are living in a communist state, or are we?
Those of you who say that the petrol prices are justified and it is justified to price the commodities at the same level as in EU and other developed economies, I would support your opinion only IF the government here runs a social security programme like them, the government invests in public infrastructure like their governments do, provides healthcare services for free like they do and makes sure that people tainted in graft and tax evasion are hanged and their property and assets are acquired and declared national assets. ELSE, I even oppose any sort of taxes collected by the government and this petrol pricing is totally absurd. They cant provide for space to park at public places, nor can they provide for any roads worth driving on, so how can they levy taxes on you for that? If I am earning well, how is this government contributing to that factor? This government didnt provide for schools where I studied, they didnt pay for the professional courses and training I had to take and suddenly when I started earning money out of all my efforts they start charging me taxes and the day when I will retire and will not be able to fend for myself, surprisingly, they would still not do anything for me. That is so called LUXURY we have of living in this country.
Forget petrol, there is no price control mechanism anywhere on anything. 8 years ago a litre of milk was Rs. 22/- per liter max, today it is at 38, what just happened there, milk also becomes luxury item? Wheat flour prices going through the sky, that also is luxury? Going by what this government has to say, I guess anyone who is alive is paying for luxury of being alive in this country. JAI HO. |
Hi, Since your profile says delhi, i am assuming you live there(correct me if i am wrong)
OK, point given that Delhi is not much made for pedestrians but you do have the metro. and it is pretty big in terms of infrastructure for public transport. Not to mention amongst the lowest fuel rates in the Country.
In the case of social security would you care to elaborate which particular european country you are talking about? Social security system is there in many countries but they have had different levels of success form place to place. The governments have invested heavily in public infrastructure but it has been achieved in primarily two ways.
1. taking loans from world bank/IMF(look where it has landed many of those "developed" countries) or
2. public private partnership(which mind you will increase the spending from your pocket as well. case and point the toll taxes as well as taxes levied by developers in airports in our country).
I have a friend from denmark(a country have a very high human development index score) and this is what he says about his country: the social security is working very well due to the good governance structure and a less corrupt society. Although income taxes are at 70%, cars have to be imported and you have to pay 100% as environment tax alone. there is a variable fine structure where based on your wealth you are fined for wrongdoing. So where a normal person would be paying a few dollars for a parking fine, a royal could have to pay to the tune of hundred thousand dollars for the same offense(lets see how many of us would agree to that). and these are just a few examples he gave me. Ask yourself, would you agree to that? Mind you that there is no "developed" country today that hangs people for corruption.
In the field of healthcare, very few developed countries(i think canada has a good healthcare system yet) provide free healthcare. If you do not have insurance, well you can die on the pavement. it is that straight. One of our exchange students had fallen from his balcony and displaced his disk, he was flown to delhi where a private plane took him back to paris, you know why, because he had taken an insurance before coming to india. Indian Government has been fighting furiously over the years to not allow the patent regime so predominent and powerful in the developed world so that the poor can afford the medication in this country. I got a cyst removed from my state hospital, it costed me 50p for the form and approx Rs.250 for all other things and it was over in 30 minutes. I dare you to give a cheaper option from the so called developed world.
I believe you need to know more about how the government is responsible in helping you earn. The fact that most of the salaried class and to an extent the business class have a job is dependent entirely on the way government puts policy into place. Examples are numerous where government policy change led to growth and finally more employment and people like us to earn money. Be it IT, Infrastructure, Telecom, Transport, entertainment, only after government let private players get in, did the economy of our country grow. Without the government laying down guidelines on the academic structure, and providing facilities to these institutions at subsidized rates, you would not be here talking like this, nor would I. So my friend, government is responsible from the beginning to help you in your growth. You are just paying your country back for the help given in the past and the help you are getting today.
As far as your concern with the rising costs of other items except petrol, well it is a result of the capitalistic/free market structure our government is adopting. which mind you is also responsible for our rise in the last 20 years. as anyone with economics background would agree, inflation will rise with growth in the system, as purchasing power grows, so does the demand and so does the prices. China is facing same issues. I for one feel relieved that inflation is the only concern we have right now seeing the world in the state it is.
PS:i could not get who you referred to as PC. Further, I am not here defending anyone, just laying down the facts as i have seen them. There are leakages in our system which needs to be plugged but it does not mean we loose faith in the constitution of our country. We are as much responsible for our county's future as the person standing next to us.