Imagine, just for a moment, if the sale of telecom spectrum resulted in a cash payment directly into the hand of every Indian citizen. That may sound absurd.
And yet there is a corner of the world where petroleum reserves were, sort of, treated as a 'commons' and their sale now earns every local resident an annual revenue.
The 2G spectrum scandal is not just another case of corruption. It challenges us to look more deeply at our role as citizens -- in demanding a say about how commons are utilised and monetised.
To counter the general impression that commons are a thing of the past, or the concern of romantic idealists, we will look at the Alaska Permanent Fund and how it turned oil reserves into annual dividend payments to the people of Alaska.
But, first, it is important to observe why consumer advocates are lamenting the blame game over theft of 2G spectrum. They find the focus on a handful of politicians largely misplaced.
www.rediff.com/-slide-show/slide-show-1-rajni-bakshi-column-sale-of-spectrum-and-money-for-every-indian
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