Supreme Court slams freebies by political parties, urges planned schemes for state welfare

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday strongly criticised the distribution of “freebies” by political parties of all states and expressed concern over its impact on public finances.

The court said that instead of distributing resources through freebie schemes, political parties should come up with planned policies that will offer schemes to improve the lives of people, such as unemployment schemes.

“The economic development of the nation will be hampered by this kind of largesse distribution. Yes, it is the State’s duty to provide, but the ones who are enjoying freebies… is it not something that should be looked at?” Chief Justice of India Surya Kant verbally observed.

#BREAKING: Supreme Court comes down heavily on freebies by states

• CJI Surya Kant flags growing “largesse distribution” by states despite mounting revenue deficits.
Asks: who will ultimately pay for these schemes if not the taxpayer?

• Court questions the fiscal wisdom of… pic.twitter.com/aqcIZxBtoS

— Bar and Bench (@barandbench) February 19, 2026

The CJI further observed, “States are running into deficit but still giving freebies. See, 25 per cent of the revenue you collect in a year, why can it not be used for the development of the State?” The court clarified that the issue was not confined to any one state but all states in the country.

“It’s not one state we are talking about, it’s about all States. It is planned expenditure. Why don’t you make Budget proposals and give justification that this is my outlay on unemployment of people?” Justice Joymalya Bagchi added.

Once just campaign promises, political freebies have now become a crucial strategy for winning elections in India. A report by Aequitas Investments highlights how political parties are increasingly relying on freebies in the name of welfare schemes to secure votes, often at the cost of state finances.

“As political parties compete in what appears to be a race to the bottom, welfare schemes and ‘freebies’ have evolved from mere campaign promises to the new currency of political power”, it says. (ANI)