You need billions to serve the people. It's only fair.

Our most revered Speaker of the Lok Sabha is already living in a bungalow on Akbar Road but now has been given the use of another one on 6, Krishna Menon Marg for her father's trust. Combined cost of both properties would not be less that Rs 5 billion. She, of course, is of the Congress. She was also in the news last year for having traveled abroad 20 times in 35 months since assuming office. The country most visited? Switzerland. She took along others for these jaunts. The more the people enjoying the less the questions. Total cost to taxpayer? Rs 100 million. Our previous President went on 12 foreign trips lasting 79 days and covering 22 countries. Her last grand trip was a 12 day extravaganza to Seychelles and South Africa along with 100 people, including son in law and grandchildren. Naturally all this menagerie needed a Boeing 747. Total cost - just over Rs 2 billion or $40 million. In January this year we learnt that her security cover extended to her family and included 18 constables and one sub-inspector, apparently breaking even our most corrupt government rules.  Our most revered Prime Minister took more than 70 foreign trips at a cost of Rs 6.5 billion, 15 of these trips were during the time the parliament was in session. Our politicians work for only a few weeks a year but even so our Prime Minister did not bother to turn up to answer questions, showing his contempt for parliament. Where Congress gives the lead will others be left behind? Assembly members in Karnataka are going on a ' study tour ' of Brazil, Argentina and Peru in South America where they will learn Samba and Tango, visit the Amazon, mountains and beaches. Whether they will study the minute details of nubile South American beauties we have not been told. On the way back they will study the desert in Dubai. They will be well advised not to study women in an Arab country because they have a habit of lashing offenders. Luckily Dubai has beautiful shopping centers and huge duty free shops at the airport where prices are really cheap. The worrying thing is that the Chief Minister says that this happens every year. In Maharashtra ministers spent Rs 210 million on redecorating their official bungalows between 2010 and 2013. The economy maybe diving but hundreds of billions are being spent with gay abandon. However, the cynical should remember that this helps politicians only to serve the people.