Since the time Mrs. Sonia Gandhi hinted that politicians must maintain austerity in their lifestyle as a symbolic gesture to show their solidarity with the poor and the suffering in this country; the Congress politicians are falling over each other to follow “Madam’s diktat”. First it was Mr. Pranab Mukherjee asking Mr. Krishna and Mr. Tharoor to vacate their 5-star accommodations in Delhi. They were waiting for their official pads to get ready. This was ridiculous because they were not using public money but spending from their own pockets. Then the whole hullabaloo about Sonia flying economy and Rahul taking a train. Good gestures but fail the purpose. Considering the security jing bang they take along with them and Air India had to leave so many seats vacant to accommodate their VIP guests (so they could have traveled Business Class in that much money). So, what is the point of these symbolic gestures? Hardly anything! Yes, do cut down on the mindless jaunts by the Ministers and their cronies which are undertaken with plainly the aim of free travel and hardly any learning attained from these foreign tours.
Yes, public spending is humongous in India and these pointless measures would be a drop in the ocean if even that! The biggest problem facing the country is the endemic corruption among the babus. If you are serious about utilization of Public funds correctly, then strengthen the Anti-corruption laws with strict persecution, give more teeth to bodies like Lokayukta who relentlessly pursue and unearth the wealth of these corrupt public servants but are unable to prosecute them due to lack of legal powers. Do you think this deters the public servants? NO! They just end up amassing public wealth even more alarmingly. Unless, corruption is rooted out, the poorest of the poor in this country will not rise up. So please work towards this and let us do away with these pretentious gestures.
Besides, do they ever consider the inconvenience caused to the normal passengers when these VIPs travel amidst them. They don’t! People have to put up with extra security and delayed procedures.
My point is please address the problem of excess spending of public funds but with foresight and with some real results in mind, not showbaazi!
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