It seems that a new bill has been proposed on land titling. The Express has written an editorial welcoming the move and is also carrying an article by DC Wadhwa, the greatest champion of clear property titles in India. Both the editorial as well as the column are worth reading - especially if you have ever tried to buy land anywhere in India. Of course, the bill has to be passed in Parliament and then our administration has to implement its provisions. However, this may not be too difficult because we now have satellite maps. It was done in British times the hard way. So kudos to the Total Chacha State. They have finally woken up to the fact that Private Property matters. Chacha has finally woken up to Hernando de Soto's message.
My question to Chacha: Why did it take you so long to realize that land titling is the MOST important job of any administration?
The answer: Chacha was too busy looking for identity cards for all citizens. This is a bogus idea Chacha has been chasing and funding all through his second term.
On this, there is some excellent news from the UK:
ID cards scheme to be scrapped within 100 days
Bill abolishing ID cards and national identity register will be the first piece of legislation introduced to parliament by the new government.
Chacha has done well to think of land titles. He could do better by abolishing the biometric ID card project. He could do even better by recognizing that "collective property" is a myth - and sell off the entire State-owned industrial sector. At long last they could run a bare-bones administration - a minimalist State - with zero taxation.
And talking of taxation: The ToI has a nice editorial on the subject today, saying that we in India need a "Tea Party Movement" just like the one in the US that is protesting against taxation. They quote Rand Paul.
Good idea. After all, most of the tea in the US Tea Party Movement comes from India. Ha ha.
Wadhwa's article was a good read. But one doubt remains: is it only the caveat emptor that prevents business houses from buying land directly? Isn't it illegal in many states for non-farmers to buy and possess farm land? Isn't that why Amitabh Bachan was forced to forgo his land holdings in UP?
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