The Reforms I Expect in India - The Next Generation - Supplement

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My dear friends and like minded persons

 

THE REFORMS I EXPECT IN INDIA – THE NEXT GENERATION (SUPPLEMENTARY LETTER)

 

Some of you, at least, might have gone through my book “The Reforms I expect in

India – The Next Generation” where I expressed my agony and concern for bringing

some reforms. This paper becomes a part of it but an abridged part of the

contents are reproduced here while all out efforts are taken to add this in the

next edition of the book.

 

A few years ago, getting a phone connection was a Herculean task and now each

and every villager in the nooks and corners are the proud owners of cell phones.

This might be named as a revolution in Telecommunication field. This indicates

that over night reforms are possible, when once we have a TRUE MIND TO DO.

 

My suggestion to the Government goes in the direction to bring a CREDIT CARD

REVOLUTION TOO in such a manner to curb black money and to improve the revenue

resources whereupon the country can be freed from deficit financing while

introducing a high degree of discipline amongst the citizens. My suggestion

goes in the following direction. From a future date say 1st of Jan 2007 or 1st

July 2007, it would be better for the Government to come with a proposal that

every transaction beyond Rs.500/- or say Rs.1000/ should be through only a

Credit Card.

 

Naturally there will be heavy rush in the banking circles for issuing the credit

cards. At this point of time, the issue of a credit card has to be linked with

production of Ration Card/Election Identity Card. In the recent times one of

the State Government started issuing Ration Cards duly collecting the bio

prints, photographs, gas connection numbers etc and cards are issued after

physical verification of the residential proofs. This is actually a Voter Card

Process.

 

Thus, this way people will have to approach the Government wherever they could

not obtain Ration Cards for onward production to the banks and THIS BECOMES THE

STARTING POINT FOR BUILDING UP A PROFILE OF A CITIZEN OF THE COUNTRY. The Social

Security Number is one such process in USA. The advantage on account of this is

1) Voters lists will be properly updated; 2) accuracy in Census data; 3)

Citizens are identified and they carry a proof of citizenship; 4) the fake

currency problem is solved to a major extent, though the main aim is introducing

a Credit Card System for all transactions and bring them on record.

 

The next step in the process is producing the Ration Card/Voter Card to the

Banking authorities to get a credit card. As a result the Government will have

all opportunities to keep a track on the transactions of a Citizen and this will

surely help financial indiscipline and reducing corrupt practices. We all agree

and it is a universal fact that Money can make many things in the name of

Corruption in our country particularly, though there are other countries joining

the corrupt group. We are concerned for ourselves and let us first get rid of

this eczema of Corruption at least through this system to some extent.

 

On account of using of Credit Cards, the entire transaction gets recorded and

Government will have proper record of its revenue. What ever is the imposition

of the tax etc. it goes with the bill and the Government is assured of its

income just as in the case of Service Tax Collection. A consumer too will know

what he is paying towards TAX. Unfortunately when we go to a telephone booth,

the minimum is something like Rs.1.37ps where the shop owner collects Rs.2/ on

some pretext or the other. Even a beggar refuses

less than Rs.1/.

 

The Government should have taken steps by now to round off the transaction to a

Rupee so that the middleman interference is avoided and all odd sums of money

too would have joined the exchequer. The introduction of Credit Card System

will help eliminating the Currency transaction to a major extent. Thus the

hiding of currency in the name of “black money” or “Unaccounted Money” gets

checked up every movement. This step will help the Government 1) to improve its

revenue; 2) to reduce cash transactions and bring all transactions on record; 3)

to reduce the quantum of Currency in Circulation as it get replaced by Plastic

Money. Most of us are aware that the Government is facing a major problem to

eliminate fake currency, to design new currency for frequent replacements in

order to check the fake notes.

 

Another major advantage of this is, the defaulters of the Banks – or so called

NON PERFORMING ASSETS – remain under constant check since any bank can ascertain

the credibility of its customer from a pooled up data on the basis of a Ration

Card or Voter Card and verify the credit worthiness or otherwise of any one.

Of course, all this look like something unusual, but practically it is all

possible. When this dream is a reality and bank loans/credit cards/driving

license/pass port/voter card/ration card/gas card remain linked, the country’s

all-round progress is assured. It is that kind of discipline what is needed for

the country today.

 

I tried to put all this in a simple language and when I used a word “Dream”, I

may have to mention here that “ All Dreams are not Realities – but all realities

are from Dreams only”

 

Therefore my “Dream” for my Mother India should become a reality. All that we

need is a COMMITMENT TO A NOBLE CAUSE without much worrying for the TEMPORARY

SEATS WITH OR WITHOUT POWER. After all, life is too short to live, let us

prove that we lived rightly and for the cause with a high degree of commitment.

Let us make our lives purposeful. We can do still wonders ……………………………………………

 

Yours affly

HARA HARA MAHADEVA

 

DR P V SESHA SAI ASWAMEDHAYAAJI

 

Adhyatmika Ratna, Vedanta Visarada, Sri Yaaga Vidya Praveena

Dr P V Sesha Sai Aswamedhayaaji www.ashwamedhayaagam.org e mails

shodasisai, shodasisai, shodasisai,

 

Camp: 3724, Spencer's Street, # 221, TORRANCE CA 90503 USA

 

Phones Land line 310 921 6138, cell 310 293 9066

 

11th August 2006