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Politics, the Path to Prosperity
This has been revealed in the research findings of the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) developed and applied by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative with UNDP support. The findings were made available on July 12th at a policy forum in London and online on the websites of OPHI and the UNDP Human Development Report.
When compared with how our ministers, MPs and MLAs across the country with a few exceptions are amassing fortunes, it is not only shocking but also shameful to think of in an independent India. According to reports, 19 of the 81 elected legislators in Jharkhand are multi millionaires. 108 of the total 288 law makers in the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly have assets worth crores of rupees. In the Northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, 17 out of 60 legislators are crorepattis. If fortunes are not to be amassed in politics, ‘what is politics for?’ seems to be the pertinent question here. The story of Madhu Koda is well-known. As Chief Minister of Jharkhand, he made over Rs. 4000 crores and he used half his assets to fund his business deals in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Dubai and Liberia. Koda is not an exception. The amount amassed by the late. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh comes to nearly Rs. 10,000 crore.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s assets run into crores and no questions are raised. Nearer home, despite the assurance given by the Chief Minister of Assam to disclose the assets of his ministers, this is yet to materialise raising intriguing questions in the public mind. The multi crore scam in the North Cachar Hills and the report of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) naming 7 ministers and 13 officials are really shocking.
It is politics and the art of making money. It is also a serious question about the performance of the MPs in particular in Parliament. An analysis of the winter session of the 15th Indian Parliament done by P.R.S. Legislative Research, a unit for the Centre for Policy Research, shows that 48% of Lok Sabha MPs did not participate in any debate. On November 26, 2009 when the Lok Sabha debated price rise, the burning issue, only 26 of 545 MPs were present in the House and there were many MPs including Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi who did not ask even a single question. The cost of running Parliament each hour comes to Rs.14 lakhs. It is ultimately the poor people of India who have to bear the costly burden. This is the reality.
Would anyone believe that when Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Deputy Prime Minister of India died, his bank balance was Rs. 287 only. He had been treasurer of the Congress Party for 30 years and had at his total command more than 500 Rajas, Maharajas and Nawabs. If he wished to, he could have financially bled them dry. The people of India today have got lost in the thicket of corruption and are in serious need of direction to the way back to righteousness.
What is being missed is that the menace of Maoism or Naxalism which now has come to grip 20 of 28 states has its root in poverty. The UPA Government on July 14th has decided to earmark Rs. 40,000 crore to counter Maoism through a multi-pronged strategy which includes a unified command. It has been pointed out that the priority should have been on development in the 83 districts of the country in order to eliminate poverty and strike at the root of Maoism. It has also been pointed out that the huge amount of Rs. 40, 000 crore budgeted to fight Maoists could well be funded to feed the entire tribal population free for one year. It seems the country is set adrift without any proper planning or action plan. It is a very delicate situation, considered against the backdrop of how our law makers have become obsessed more with self-advertisement than with national interest.
When compared with how our ministers, MPs and MLAs across the country with a few exceptions are amassing fortunes, it is not only shocking but also shameful to think of in an independent India. According to reports, 19 of the 81 elected legislators in Jharkhand are multi millionaires. 108 of the total 288 law makers in the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly have assets worth crores of rupees. In the Northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, 17 out of 60 legislators are crorepattis. If fortunes are not to be amassed in politics, ‘what is politics for?’ seems to be the pertinent question here. The story of Madhu Koda is well-known. As Chief Minister of Jharkhand, he made over Rs. 4000 crores and he used half his assets to fund his business deals in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Dubai and Liberia. Koda is not an exception. The amount amassed by the late. Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh comes to nearly Rs. 10,000 crore.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s assets run into crores and no questions are raised. Nearer home, despite the assurance given by the Chief Minister of Assam to disclose the assets of his ministers, this is yet to materialise raising intriguing questions in the public mind. The multi crore scam in the North Cachar Hills and the report of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) naming 7 ministers and 13 officials are really shocking.
It is politics and the art of making money. It is also a serious question about the performance of the MPs in particular in Parliament. An analysis of the winter session of the 15th Indian Parliament done by P.R.S. Legislative Research, a unit for the Centre for Policy Research, shows that 48% of Lok Sabha MPs did not participate in any debate. On November 26, 2009 when the Lok Sabha debated price rise, the burning issue, only 26 of 545 MPs were present in the House and there were many MPs including Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi who did not ask even a single question. The cost of running Parliament each hour comes to Rs.14 lakhs. It is ultimately the poor people of India who have to bear the costly burden. This is the reality.
Would anyone believe that when Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Deputy Prime Minister of India died, his bank balance was Rs. 287 only. He had been treasurer of the Congress Party for 30 years and had at his total command more than 500 Rajas, Maharajas and Nawabs. If he wished to, he could have financially bled them dry. The people of India today have got lost in the thicket of corruption and are in serious need of direction to the way back to righteousness.
What is being missed is that the menace of Maoism or Naxalism which now has come to grip 20 of 28 states has its root in poverty. The UPA Government on July 14th has decided to earmark Rs. 40,000 crore to counter Maoism through a multi-pronged strategy which includes a unified command. It has been pointed out that the priority should have been on development in the 83 districts of the country in order to eliminate poverty and strike at the root of Maoism. It has also been pointed out that the huge amount of Rs. 40, 000 crore budgeted to fight Maoists could well be funded to feed the entire tribal population free for one year. It seems the country is set adrift without any proper planning or action plan. It is a very delicate situation, considered against the backdrop of how our law makers have become obsessed more with self-advertisement than with national interest.
