Written by Umang Saini
on 

Vista

Update - Government responds with its 18-page clarification. They emphasize that it will be even costlier to build this infrastructure later, and suspension will result in higher loss. High court agreed as well. Link

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There is something about the name “Vista”. Aside from the name, the wikipedia page captures little of the storm brewing in the pot - Link. There is good amount of ink being spilled on the same, with subtle and not so subtle suggestions to just shut down the project. Example article in New York Review of Books - Modi’s Folly (requires free account to read).

Government spends an astronomical amount each year. In fact they spend significantly more than they collect. The majority expense of any public sector undertaking goes straight into the pocktes of bureaucracy as salary and perks. There are several checks and balances on this money, however once the executive has made a determination, they usually get their way. Classic examples would be VVIP choppers, Bullet Train etc. These are discretionary expenses, which are recommended via different departments. 36% of central goverment expenses will be from debt this year and 20% will go purely for interest payments.

The question is not about Central Vista’s utility, the question is, why such expenses are allowed without publishing their expected ROI and impact studies. Surely a ~2.5bn infrastructure project like this will have its benefits (employment etc.), however they must compete against best ROI. There should be accountability on whether such expenses produce the projected benefits, and these should be made public.

At this point, the best ROI is simply any investment in healthcare. There is no economy if health of workforce is not ensured.

  1. Tests should be made cheaper, add home testing kits etc.
  2. Mass vaccination centers which can move the needle. Vaccine distribution should not be the bottleneck. Some state should take the lead and set example on how it is done.
  3. Medical equipment manufacturing - Oximeters, O2 Concentrators are just few items which have not scaled to meet projected demand.
  4. Obamacare style health insurance - Make Aarogya Sanjeevni mandatory and use those funds to build health facilities.
  5. Ensure those who sat on the files for setting up Ventilator and O2 facilities at hospitals are accounted for.

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Umang