Punjab has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it does not intend to withdraw the power subsidy from farmers of any size. Instead, it has appealed to “rich” farmers that they surrender the subsidy voluntarily. This is very much in line with the larger campaign of the NDA government at the Centre that is urging the well-off to avoid taking various subsidies, starting with LPG. Even though the success of that appeal is yet to be detremined, there is no gainsaying it does raise a fundamental question of the morality of precious public resources going to those who don’t really need them when all needy have not yet been served.India has had a tradition of giving in the name of God, a significant part of which does reach the poor. However, the spirit has not been evident when it comes to scientific philanthropy, in which specific areas of need, such as education or health, may be identified to enable high-net-worth individuals to make contributions. There is need for charity to move beyond personal or spiritual satisfaction, where the giver wants to personally see the exact beneficiary and end use to draw a certain fulfilment. To be fair to the rich, there is a trust gap when it comes to charitable organisations. It is only natural for a person to demand that his money be put to good use. That is where the “give it up” initiatives of governments can fill the gap by providing planned and organised channels of “charity”.The power subsidy situation in Punjab, however, may be slightly different. That is because the definition of a “rich farmer” is debatable. The number of those rich purely on farm income would be very small as there exists a limit on the amount of land a person can hold. Then there are those, including politicians, who have income from land as well as other sources. Sadly, their preparedness to give up may be gauged from the fact that thus far in Punjab only Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Khaira have taken the step.