Which is better ? Handing out dole money or make people stand on their own two feet ?

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Dole money is given in many countries when the citizens are out of work or when they are unable to work due to heath reasons but I understand that this is a temporary measure until the person finds another job or is able to work again once he or she recovers. In the Indian context it is a different situation altogether. It is a highly politicised issue, given when a political party feels there is an opportunity to win votes in the near future. Today I visited an island village surrounded by river water and back waters called Thanneerbavi to attend the naming ceremony of a new born baby. This particular village has about 160 households , majority of them fisher folks and agriculturists and their only access to mainland is through boats since there is no bridge. The villagers have been requesting the authorities to build at least a foot bridge which would help the school going children immensely. As of now the students miss school during monsoon months when the river is in spate.In fact even today as we took the launch to get there , I could feel the force of the swirling waters..The villagers have no launches, only country boats which are quite unsteady. I felt extremely sorry and at the same time could'nt help but admire the children who brave through the weather and the difficulty they face every day. Apparently, the elected leaders visit the village after they submit half a dozen complaints . distributes some money and assures them of building a bridge across the river.This has been happening since more than 50 years with no action being taken. Here too the politicians have played their cards well and made sure that opinions are divided among the villagers. While some are of the opinion that getting regular dole money from the state is better , the others feel that having a bridge across the river is most essential for the children and themselves since it opens up many more opportunities. It is a very scenic village and if there is a proper road it can become a tourist attraction .These were my thoughts as I came back and loked across at the village.