tee-bhee

The morning news paper read today that government is planning to levy a licence fees amounting half a thousand rupees for viewing television. The purported reason is to turn the government owned entertainment(!) agency, the प्रसार भारती, from red to green. It's a different observation, however, that this move has turned viewers' faces red. As per the fiat, the amount garnered by slapping the levy shall be used to upgrade the pay scale of agency's 38,000 odd employees to government pay scale and provide 'other benefits'. Moreover, the move shall rake circa Rs.23,871 crores from the pockets of the viewers. Entertaining, it is, indeed. The government owned entertainment agency was enacted by a Parliamentary Act which has a section that entitles the promoters of the company, in this case, representatives of the public - otherwise called the government - to loot (oops! charge) the public this way. The viewer base of the agency owned channels, beamed free of cost, is abysmal. This means, the agency will be charging the levy for viewing channels other than it's own! A couple of weeks back, the honourable Information and Broadcasting minister issued a fiat that watching cricket matches is a must for every citizen of India, hence or otherwise, the private satellite channels must share the match feed - which they have acquired exclusive rights for, by commercial competitive bidding - with the प्रसार भारती channels. So competent are the employees of the agency for whose upliftment, the levy is being levied. Furthermore, a proposal of levying 10% licence fees (~896 crores) on TV and Radio manufacturers is also doing rounds. It's an perfect illustration of a archetypal socialist ideology: Milk the cow to the full (stop of her life).

Figure this: Rs. 24,677 crores raised such if invested in making a new power plant can easily finance a 5000MW greenfield project, at prevalent costs. A full thousand megawatt more than the much touted Ultra Mega power plants, which are gaining more attention for bidding fiascoes rather than speedy implementation. It will well alleviate power crisis of many states, though to a little extent. Besides, it will generate employment for many citizens of India, mostly those, which don't watch either cricket matches or any of the प्रसार भारती programs.

Master had always cursed me for bugging him on weekends, for I don't have a TV and no plans for buying it ever. With government coming in support of my decision, Master is feeling down and out with his 500/- TV.

The हाट

While buying any goods, I habitually check the manufacturer, expiry or best before date and the brand name. However, I realised that I altogether forgo this cardinal check when I buy the vegetables and fruits from the weekly हाट. As Master has observed well, 'Brand is the minimum guarantee of quality', it is quite unsettling to note that the aforementioned aphorism fails in the context of हाट. Not only the quality is excellent, but the price of the goods is reasonable too. It's a different issue, nevertheless, that I never bargain. Haggling, I regard infra dig.

A simple mechanism works behind the curtains to provide this desirable combo to me, the end consumer. The sellers if the vegetables at the हाट are none other but the farmers themselves. In some cases, the first hand traders, who buy the vegetables directly from the farmers and then sell. As the number of middlemen in the supply chain are minimal (or none), the gap between the cost price and the final selling price is relatively modest. It translates into a cheaper buy for the end consumer. Besides, as the goods are fresh - picked and carried, straight from the farm - the quality is unquestionable. Moreover, the farmers recover the cost of their produce, pronto. As the goods are sold in retail and not wholesale, the per unit price is wee bit higher, resulting in commensurately higher margins.

The major problem with the perishable products is the storage, transportation and above all, timely consumption. Statistically, 40% of the perishable produce, perishes presently. हाट prevents it. As an icing on the cake, as the हाट are weekly, they don't occupy (and in turn encroach) the land permanently; something that's the cause of worry to the (incumbent) administration.

हाट, all in all, represent fantastic socio-economic models. In HR parlance, they offer win-win situation to all parties. In fact, the upcoming retail joints in this particular vertical have more or less similar business model. The only thing that bothers me is the downmarket appeal of the हाट. हाट, to me, are utility malls stripped down of the glitz. So, from next time, use हाट. It's hot!