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Why don't we get angry any more?

Why don't we get angry any more? While beggars in Girridh were protesting before the deputy commissioner's office last fortnight against the refusal of shopkeepers to accept small change of 5 paise, 10 paise, 25 paise and 50 paise coins, our MPs were gifting themselves 100,000 free telephone calls per year (273.9 calls a day). Some MPs even urged the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances of MPs to hike the limit to 150,000 free calls.

Why don't we get angry any more? While Minister of State Arun Shourie was compiling a dossier on the misuse of funds under the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme and while the Delhi high court was admitting a PIL filed by Common Cause run by Shourie's father against MPLADS, Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna was exploring the possibility of introducing such a scheme for MLAs.

Why don't we get angry any more? While electricity tariff shoots through the roof as we are made to pay for the promises and guarantees made by state governments to private power producers, our MPs have gifted themselves 25,000 units of free electricity a year (2,083 units a month). And while people were battling drought-like situations in four states, they gifted themselves 2,000,000 litres of free water a year (166,666 litres a month.)

Why don't we get angry any more? While Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha and Petroleum Minister Ram Naik come up with newer and newer ways of hiking petrol and diesel prices, MLAs in Punjab get 500 litres of free diesel every month to load their Tata Sumos. The Tata Sumos, incidentally, were given to them free by the Punjab government when they were first elected. The state's ministers, meanwhile, get unlimited supply of petrol.

Why don't we get angry any more? While Defence Minister George Fernandes was telling the world that nearly 60 million Indians survive on less than Rs 15 a day and while the World Bank believes that an equal number survive on 15 cents a day (Rs 6.75), our MPs spent the better part of this session trying unsuccessfully to get the annual grant under MPLADS raised from Rs 2 crore (Rs 54,794 a day) to Rs 4 crore (Rs 109,589 a day).

Why don't we get angry any more? While farmers in Andhra Pradesh were eating pesticides and selling kidneys and hanging themselves because of the drought, crop failure and poverty, respectively, the state's Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is believed to have spent a whopping Rs 300 crore [Rs 3 billion] in image-building and public relations since he came to power three years ago.

Why don't we get angry any more? While drought-affected women in Rajasthan and Gujarat were walking miles every day to fetch a pail of water for a few rupees, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh reportedly spent an average of Rs 26,000 every day (or Rs 94,90,000 every year) on air travel in the Year of the Lord 1998.

Why don't we get angry any more? While farmers in Andhra Pradesh were eating pesticides, selling their kidneys and hanging themselves because of the drought, crop failure and poverty, respectively, the state's Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu was gifting his MPs a car each for their personal use in New Delhi and raising the ceiling of the vehicle allowance to Rs 600,000.

Why don't we get angry any more? While the entrance to the Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore screams 'Government's Work is God's Work', Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna has shown that our politicians are mostly atheists by spending all of Rs 1.7 million on the renovation of his official residence (including shifting doors for vaastu reasons) since taking over.

Why don't we get angry any more? While Uttar Pradesh goes to pot, BJP ministers have shown a marked liking for pot-tea. In FY 1999-2000, the 93 ministers in the Ram Prakash Gupta team gulped down tea worth Rs 15 million. In the four months after Gupta took charge, the ministers have gobbled up pocket money of Rs 50 million and spent 585 hours in state planes.

Why don't we get angry any more? While more than half the population can't read or write, three ministers in the S M Krishna Cabinet have been claiming Rs 10,817 each every month as newspaper and periodicals allowance. Which means if they get to complete their full five-year terms, the ministers would have spent Rs 650,000 in reading journals.

Why don't we get angry any more? While state government employees were being retrenched, R P Gupta was increasing the legislators' fund from Rs 6 million to Rs 7.5 million every year, the railway travel entitlement from Rs 88,000 to Rs 125,000 every year. Each legislator was also being given Rs 200,000 each to buy a house and a car and each legislator was being sanctioned an extra monthly allowance of Rs 3,000.

Why don't we get angry any more? While S M Krishna himself has claimed Rs 391,302 in travelling allowance since taking over some seven or eight months ago, three of his colleagues claim to have spent even more money on travelling. The state industries minister has claimed Rs 443,508, the major irrigation minister has claimed Rs 441,580 and the women and child welfare minister has claimed Rs 431,685.

Why don't we get angry any more? While each MP was given a laptop computer as part of the MPLADS when it was launched by P V Narasimha Rao to keep the flock happy, has anybody ever seen his/her Member of Parliament using one?

Why don't we get angry any more? This is our money these people are playing around with while talking about downsizing and cutting flab.

Why don't we get angry any more? This is our money. Period.

Krishna Prasad