New Delhi, June 14 -- Noting that a welfare society is an obligation of a democratic government, Chief Economic Adviser V Anantha Nageswaran has said that the question is always affordability for the governments and whether it is coming at the cost of other expenditure which will benefit the people even more than what is being given as a freebie.

In an interview with ANI, Nageswaran said the issue should be looked at sensibly rather than on an emotional plane and the question that needs to be asked is if it is helping people or it could have been done differently.

He said if societal benefit happens through "freebies" brought about by design, then it is "a contract between the government and the society".

Nageswaran said welfare expend...