"Free Benefits Are Making People Reluctant to Work"

During a hearing on a PIL about providing shelter for the urban homeless in Delhi, Supreme Court judge Justice BR Gavai criticized the practice of distributing freebies before elections. He suggested that instead of just giving benefits, efforts should be made to integrate homeless people into society so they can contribute to the nation. He expressed concern that offering too many free benefits discourages people from working. Referring to schemes like "Ladli Behen," he said that free rations and financial aid without work make people dependent. He shared his own experience from Maharashtra, where, due to election-time freebies, farmers struggle to find laborers because people prefer to stay at home. When advocate Prashant Bhushan argued that no one refuses to work if they have a job opportunity, the judge disagreed, saying that the reality is different. He also questioned why some homeless people refuse to stay in shelters, pointing out that even a poorly maintained shelter is better than sleeping on the streets. Despite his concerns about freebies, Justice Gavai acknowledged that the right to shelter is a fundamental right and needs to be addressed. He suggested that a better approach would be to help homeless people become part of mainstream society rather than just providing free aid. Separately, the Supreme Court is also reviewing petitions on whether political parties should be allowed to promise freebies before elections. A larger bench is expected to decide on the issue. Case Title: E.R. Kumar v. Union of India | Writ Petition (Civil) No. 55 of 2003 www.legalmeet.in