What is in a trillion!

Seems that state power utilities have racked up debts of over Rs 2 trillion. Apparently last year state owned power companies in 5 states, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana had their debts restructured by banks to the tune of Rs 300 billion. Now this larger debt will be restructured as well. Already Rs 1.9 trillion of debt, of which corporate debt was Rs 762.51, has been restructured this year. About 18-20% of such restructured debt turns into Non Performing Assets or bad loans. State Bank of India already has Rs 400.8 billion of NPAs on its books. The power companies are in such a mess because political parties promise free power to farmers and slum dwellers to win elections. This only helps rich farmers who have electric supply in their homes. They use free electricity to run water pumps for hours drawing enormous amounts ground water for irrigation. Thus power distribution companies run up large debts while the level of ground water keeps falling raising salinity in the water and even raising levels of arsenic in the water. Farmers do not pay income tax so a lot of politicians describe themselves as farmers showing all their income from farming. Thus taxpayers are transferring money to politicians to win elections as well as to add to their wealth. Six months back a RTI application revealed that 6 serving MPs and 399 retired MPs, both dead and alive, owed Rs 70 million in unpaid telephone bills to MTNL, the public sector telecom service provider in Delhi. This in spite of the fact that MPs are allowed 150,000 free calls a year. TOI, 21 June. In reply to a recent RTI application MTNL replied that " No parliamentarian is found for violation of any of the norms ". Summer is especially torrid in Delhi with temperatures rising to 45'C. Water is supplied for just one hour everyday throughout the year but every summer there are days when there is no water at all. Water tankers take advantage of the desperation of residents by charging whatever they desire. Naturally government fellows are deeply involved. Delhi Jal Board officials at RK Puram were asking for Rs 2000 for one tank full, which would be 1000 liters, half of which to be paid in advance and half to the driver of the tanker. In Vasant Kunj the rate was Rs 500 for half a tank. HT, 4 July. The Olympics are just 2 weeks away. As usual we will see athletes being outnumbered by politicians and civil servants. In the past athletes were made to sleep on the floor while these scum occupied all the beds. Begging and criminality go hand in hand. Sadly, most of our politicians are criminal beggars.