Rahul works hard, his website harder! No, it's not just us saying that. Here's a great story from the DNA (Daily News and Analysis) today, which tells us that: Rahul Gandhi spends over 16 hours a day on the campaign trail, but that's nothing compared to what his website does - it's on 24X7. He manages to cover two states a day and address four public meetings, while his website 'pressbrief.in' relays as many meetings and that too across the world. The customised portal also replays … [Read more...]
Promises and lies
April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
It's not just about proposing grandiose plans that India can ill afford, it's also about making budget promises that simply can't be kept. That's what's happening in Karnataka, say journalists from The Hindu, Bageshree S. and Muralidhara Khajane in their critique of the BJP's government's apparent pet obsession dream: Rice for Rs. 2/kg, but where's the money to come from, Mr. Yeddyurappa? The journalists point out that there's been a mess with the card distribution and not enough fund … [Read more...]
Numbers just don’t add up!
April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
CNBC-TV18 journalist Vivian Fernandes reminds you in the Mint that although it may not cost you to vote for the BJP, if they do come into power, their manifesto could cost the Treasury numbers to the tune of 50,000 crores. Providing 35kg of rice and wheat per month to very poor families at Rs2 a kg might mean an outgo of Rs10,000 crore. Farm loans at 4%, will raise the subsidy from two percentage points to five, and swell the bill to Rs6,500 crore. A complete farm loan waiver may not cost … [Read more...]
Money, money, money
April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Apparently there's a lot of it stashed away in Swiss bank accounts. Er, sure, and how do we know that? Advani, the CPM manifesto and Sharad Yadav of the JD (U). And who was Advani citing? Well, amongst other things, a two-year-old email doing the rounds, it seems. Senor economist Bibek Debroy's story here. Not surprisingly, a response from senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who says in an open letter to Advani, "To put it bluntly, Shri Advani, you are lying. That your entire edifice of … [Read more...]
BJP tries its hand at ‘IT for all’
April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
... but they seem to be bungling. Great ideas but not much follow-through thinking is what this article by economist Atanu Dey seems to suggest. Specifically, he points out: " Their policy declaration “IT for All” is bold, visionary, timely and ambitious. It is also fatally flawed and wrong-headed." And then he goes on to say why... great ideas may sound good, but may cost crores and crores to implement. Perhaps the BJP should actually consider the remote possibility that they will … [Read more...]
Sanjay Dud and all that
April 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment
- by SANJAY JHA Sanjay Jha is unforgiving in the assessment of his (sort of) namesake Sanjay Dutt: Dutt comes across as an overgrown imbecile, but we should have perhaps guessed that earlier from his new illustrious company and "big brothers". Also, from the brazen-faced way in which he publicly chastised his sisters, family, Congress party, just about anyone for not giving him adequate "love". Sanjay Dutt has lost massive goodwill and sympathy, and his Bollywood career is headed for a … [Read more...]
