So what is new?

Union Law Minister, Mr Salman Khurshid and his wife run a charity called the Zakir Hussain Memorial Trust which helps disabled people by supplying them with aids such as crutches and prostheses. Very noble indeed. The trust receives money from the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. In March 2011 the trust received Rs 6.8 million from the Union ministry on the basis of a letter, written by the former Special Secretary at the Department of Disabled Welfare in UP, certifying that the work done by the trust had been assessed and was to the satisfaction of the department. Trouble is that the man who is supposed to have written the letter denies having written it because he had retired 2 months previously in January 2011. He maintains, not unnaturally, that the letter is forged. Apparently the trust received Rs 7.1 million in 2009-10 also on the basis of a forged letter. As is normal for our politicians, especially of the Congress, Mr Khurshid has gone on the offensive. He held a press conference today in which he showed photographs of camps held for the disabled and invoices showing purchases of implements to help the disabled. All very well but that still does not answer the accusation of forgery, especially since the writer has categorically denied having written the letter at all and says that his signature has been forged. And he should know. In India any amount of invoices can be obtained for a fee, a tactic used by exporters to cheat the taxpayer by what is known as under-invoicing and over-invoicing. Meanwhile, civil society activist, Anjali Damania has alleged that sugar mills in Maharashtra were allotted to relatives of politicians including those of former President Pratibha Patil. " Not a single mill is awarded to a common man. All politicians, including those of Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, former Deputy CM, Ajit Pawar, senior BJP leader, Gopinath Munde and, of course, BJP chief, Nitin Gadkari have got these mills," she said. Proving thereby that deep friendship and cooperation exist between politicians of every ilk and the angry exchanges and name calling between them are for our entertainment. Mrs Patil is also remembered for having visited 24 countries during her term in office. She spent 79 days visiting Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Bhutan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, Britain, Cyprus, China, Laos, Cambodia, the UAE, Syria, Mauritius, South Korea, Mongolia, Switzerland and Austria. She signed off with a flourish, spending 12 days in Seychelles and South Africa with son in law and grandchildren at a cost of Rs 2.01 billion. She also wanted to build her post retirement house on defence land and was " pained " when criticised. Between 3 June 2009 and 30 April 2012, Lok Sabha Speaker, Meira Kumar had travelled abroad 29 times, which works out at once every 37 days. Hope they did not save on good food and drinks for our sake. Enjoy.