Discard archaic rules to help India grow faster

<div class="section0"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-size:="">India is a multi-pluralist society, used to accommodating several religions, castes, creeds and sects. This translates to political pluralism and coalition politics. This is good, but not when discarded dogmas and shibboleths of the past — based on misconceptions — hamper progress.</span><br /><span style="" font-size:="">If India aspires to be the third largest global power in 40 years, we must jettison failed ideologies and focus on economic growth.A small step was taken last week when PM Manmohan Singh scrap-ped, for future joint ventures, Press Note 18 that required a foreign partner to take prior permission from Indian partners to set up a similar venture.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Why can’t state governments think of a similar solution for Rent Control Acts? Do they serve the purpose, or just hamper investment in real estate? While these outdated statutes protect an existing stock of tenants, they make it impossible or prohibitively expensive for future tenants to obtain a decent housing.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">This constricts the Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of mobility. Can we similarly not think of scrapping Rent Control Acts for future tenancies? No, because we are not willing to discard shibboleths of the past!</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Free power is another example. Free power is supplied to farmers at hours when it is not needed, forcing them to use more expensive diesel for hired gen-sets. Farm-ers are wil-ling to pay for power if it is assured and reliable. But would politicians accept the proposition that the largesse they offer is unwanted? No, because we are unwilling to discard shibboleths of the past!</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Pricing of petroleum products is another example. Subsidised kerosene is not used to provide cheap cooking fuel to the poor. It is diverted to be blended with diesel, with the least of concerns for the environment.</span><br /><span style="" font-size:="">Can this change?</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-size:="">No. A suggestion to phase out LPG subsidy was shot down by the Left parties, unwilling to discard the shibboleths of the past.</span><br /></div> </div>