Gekko was just a novice.

In the movie Wall Street the hero Gordon Gekko says," Greed is good." For our politicians and civil servants greed is everything no matter what the cost to the nation. The Comptroller and Accountant General has tabled 3 reports in Parliament cataloging systematic plunder at the cost of the taxpayer. In one report CAG estimates that the exchequer lost Rs 1.86 trillion because blocks of coal were distributed to private firms arbitrarily without auctioning. This was at a time when our most revered Prime Minister was in charge of the Coal Ministry. Anil Ambani controlled R Power was allowed to divert surplus coal from captive mines for its Sasan project to other projects giving the company windfall profits of Rs 290 billion over 20 years. But whereas these were notional losses suffered by not realising proper value for natural resources the report on Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd, which renovated the Delhi airport and runs it, shows active looting of flying passengers. TOI, 18 August. The project was to be built with equity and debt with no new charges on passengers but when the cost of the project rose by 43%, from Rs 89.75 billion in 2008 to Rs 128.57 billion in 2010 the Aviation ministry levied a Development fee of Rs 200 and Rs 1300 on outgoing domestic and international passengers in 2009. We know that companies are awarded projects by quoting ridiculously low rates which are inflated once work has begun. Whether these companies are allowed to see the tenders of others by bribing politicians and civil servants we do not know but such incidents have happened regularly in road building leading to exorbitant toll charges on drivers. Airport charges have recently been increased by 346% making Delhi the most expensive airport in the world. The CAG report states," Out of the total capital expenditure of Rs 128.57 billion the promoter's equity has been Rs 24.50 billion out of which 26% ( Rs 6.37 billion ) was contributed by Airport Authority of India and 74% ( Rs 18.13 billion ) by the other joint venture partners. Thus with an equity contribution of Rs 24.50 billion out of which the private consortium's share was Rs 18.13 billion, DIAL has got a brownfield airport for 60 years and in addition commercial rights of land valued at Rs 240 billion with a potential earning capacity of, according to its own estimates, Rs 1.64 trillion." DIAL also constructed an extra 17.8% of floor area increasing cost and has the right of first refusal to build a second airport within 150km radius for the highest price. The response of the Congress? That CAG has crossed the limits of its mandate. Do the politicians have a mandate to loot? Gordon Gekko could learn from these scum.