FREEBIES have been in the news. Political parties outdo one another in offering concessions to voters. High on the list of promises has been free electricity.
Leading the way has been the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has highlighted among its successes the 300 units of electricity a month it has been giving free in Delhi.
Free power, however, has decades-old precedents. Farmers have been getting free power across states. And in Punjab, much before AAP’s recent victory, free power was being given not just to farmers but also to urban and industrial consumers.
The bills have. . .
