A makeover worth Rs 2 billion.

One of the bribes used by the Congress to win the elections in 2009 was forgiving all loans to farmers costing Rs 520 billion to the taxpayer. The Comptroller and Auditor General has revealed that of the 100,000 loans it has studied at least 30% worth Rs 1.5 billion was siphoned off. TOI, 8 February. This money was paid to half a dozen Micro Finance Institutions by corrupt bank managers. Under the scheme banks were supposed to deal directly with farmers and not through MFIs which have not provided any relevant records to show where the money went. Since the Congress seized power in 2004 hundreds of billions have been looted from the exchequer through various scams such as the telecom licenses scam, the coal mine scam and the Commonwealth Games scam. Not a single person has gone to jail because of our frozen justice system. Indeed it is not yet sure if our most revered Finance Minister won his seat from Sivaganga in 2009. His opponent Mr. Raja Kannappan of the AIADMK has filed a case claiming that he received 3,34,348 votes as opposed to Mr Chidambaram's 3,30,994 but votes were transferred by corrupt election officials so that Mr Chidambaram ended up winning by 3,354 votes. We do not know when our gracious judges will decide the case but even if the result is annulled and a new election announced it will be too late. Mr Chidambaram has been swanning around as Finance Minister, Home Minister and Finance Minister again, giving high sounding speeches and travelling all over the world with our money. With so much filth washing up against the government the Congress has decided that the government needs a makeover. With our money of course. The Finance Ministry has released Rs 2 billion to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to try and whitewash the government before the elections in 2014. HT, 5 February. So, first politicians loot our money and when they are tarred by protests, courtesy of Mr Anna Hazare, they decide to use more of our money for misinformation to brainwash the public. Surely it should be a criminal offence to use taxpayer money for electioneering but in India politicians stand for elections only to loot.  Meanwhile athletes training at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala for the Rio Olympics in 2016 have seen their diet cut because of the rising prices of food. Intake of meat, dry fruits and milk have all been reduced. " We had no option but to drop some items from the menu. There should be at least a hike of Rs 100 in the food money, only then can we provide the diet we were giving preparing for the London games," said one official who wanted to remain anonymous. If the hockey team does not qualify most of our athletes will be wrestlers or weight lifters who need a lot of calories. When hundreds of billions have been looted another Rs 2 billion is nothing. Surely!