Of men, mice and monopolies

india — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:47:00 +0000

This is what happens when you have monopolies. One distortion of the economy soon needs another. One destructive policy needs and equally destructive and unprincipled “remedy”. According to Railway
Minister Lalu Prasad, who presides over probably the largest monopoly in the world,

To ensure availability of foodgrains for the Public Distribution
System, the Railways have decided to only load wheat procured by the
Food Corporation of India and state governments and not those procured
by private entrepreneurs. “I want to inform the House that barring
foodgrains procured by the FCI and state governments, wheat procured by
private contractors will not be loaded in railway wagons,”

What about the other monopoly called FCI. This wonderful creation of central planning loses thousands of tonnes of food every year to men and mice. It is my contention that FCI feeds more criminals and rats day in and day out than hungry people. An exaggeration no doubt, but not by much.

Who will save us from the exploitation and profiteering of anachronistic monsters like FCI?

Next time you encounter the following: use thousands of features on your computer; wade through garbage and human excrement in railway stations that looks more like refugee camps; read about farmer suicide, even though zillions have been set aside by taxpayers to aid them, via subsidies and food procurement, and that tonnes and tonnes of food disappear every year from government shops and storage, chew on the following:

Microsoft, which delivers better and better products, every year, for cheaper and cheaper prices, is relentlessly hounded and accused of being a monopoly. But railways and FCI ……….

Before you conclude otherwise, I am a big fan of Mr Lalu Prasad. He is a shrewd politician and politics, especially in a complex democracy like India, needs more Lalu Prasads. Not naive fools whose only qualifications are that they speak English well and studied in prominent Engineering colleges. Maybe even did a tour of the West and are have come back to “serve and sacrifice” for their motherland. Clueless bull!

One more contention of mine: Mr Prasad knows fully well how destructive the Railway Ministry, the monopolistic nature of railways in India and FCI are to the development of India. He knows well that his gimmick will not make any difference whatsoever. But the price is rising, inflation is up, elections are coming, etc. etc. And he is a shrewd politician. Man got to do what a shrewd man got to do!

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Of men, mice and monopolies