Everyone for sale.

Even though elections could be 9 months away the Congress is going all out to buy support. It has been pouring a deluge of taxpayer money to bribe its " vote bank ". It has bypassed parliament on the Food Security Bill through an ordinance. This will add another Rs 2.5 trillion to government spending. The Backwards Regions Grant will cost Rs 750 billion. Bihar has been promised special backward status which will guarantee tens of billions of rupees and UP, which elects the maximum number of MPs to parliament, has been promised an increase in plan allocation. Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, father of the UP Chief Minister, has executed a swift about turn after the CBI decided to drop charges of amassing Disproportionate Assets against him. Just a day ago he was totally against the Food Security Bill but said yesterday," Why should we oppose the bill? We are in support of it. The issue will be debated in parliament and things will fall in place." TOI, 21 July. A few months back charges of corruption on the Taj Corridor Case against Ms Mayawati were dropped, since when she has been supporting every noxious action of the Congress. However, the Governor of the Reserve Bank, Duvvuri Subbarao has not been offered an extension to his contract. " No offer has been made so far. It is a hypothetical question. As I said before I must move on," said Mr Subbarao. Certainly he has done everything in his power to support the Congress. He cut interest rates to 4.75% in April 2009, just a month before the last general elections, even though the Consumer Price Index had reached 9.37% in March 2009. Instead of raising interest rates to control scorching inflation he has cut them 3 times this year. As a result the rupee has fallen 11% since April adding to inflation as the cost of imports, especially oil and coal, have shot up. The Wholesale Price Index has risen from 4.75% in May to 4.86% in June and Retail Index was 9.9% in June. Consequently Industrial Production has fallen by 1.6% in May and exports are down 4.6% in June. Perhaps the Congress has left him dangling from a hook - Obey us and you get another 5 years in your cushy job. Or else. This gigantic waste of resources is dressed up as " inclusive growth " which means dishing out taxpayer money to the poor in exchange for votes.  Planning Commission member, Arun Maira said, " The government needs to change its orientation towards inclusion if we want a more inclusive, more sustainable and faster growth. If inclusion is to give handouts to those who currently do not have enough, it is not sustainable because the money to give that handout will come from the economy." Everyone for sale. How shameful is that?