Dehradun, Jan. 16 -- Such is the desperation of politicians and political parties to acquire power that they have no compunction in making the most outrageous and impractical promises at election time. In fact, the heat of competition makes them go completely overboard. If, by chance, they do get elected, any attempt at delivering on these often bankrupts the exchequer and introduces anomalies that, even in the short run, disrupt the economy. Take, for instance, the promise made by the Congress to provide free travel on Delhi's buses to women, students and elderly persons. This is an attempt to go one up on the present free rides for women scheme by the AAP Government, which has already set a record in terms of populist programmes. At a tim...