Friday, August 17, 2012

BPL SCHEME

We seem to have lost the plot.
This Govt plans to give away a mobile phone free with 200 minutes free talk time to those families who are below poverty line.  This scheme is expected to cost the Ex-chequer a whooping sum of Rs 7000 Crores+.

This proposal, reportedly, has been drafted by the Planning Commission.  It is the same Planning Commission which had submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court identifying poor in India as those earning less than Rs 28/day.  With that kind of divine income, where will the next recharge,after 200 minutes,come from?(unless, the scheme gets implemented just before next elections)

Some are terming this scheme as a political master stroke before general elections.  Govt will have access to details of over 70 million voters/households.

If BPL families are the real concern of the Govt, with an amount of Rs 7000 crores, a lot can be done in terms of healthcare facilities, schools, housing etc. Had these facilities been thought of for the last 65 yrs,each present BPL family would have been prosperous enough to own their own Mobile sets and educated enough so as to not vote for a free Mobile connection.

It is time; Govt gave serious thought to various schemes and waivers to the poor.

One case in point is the loan waiver to the farmers.  Who did actually benefit? Farmers are still committing suicide; they are still unable to get the private lenders off their backs.

Someone must look at this picture above and ask this poor lady;
What does she  need...drinking water or a mobile set? Answer is written on her helpless face.
Yes, her vote is in her hand which might hold a free Mobile connection soon.



DESH UBAL RAHA HAI.

PAPPU JAAG GAYA HAI.



Let us CHANGE INDIA for INDIA OF TOMORROW.









Wednesday, August 8, 2012

WE ARE MISSING SOMETHIHNG

Recently I spent a few days in Garhwal hills.
It was not jungles.
Those of us who live in Metro cities with all facilities like transport, power back up and most the basic infrastructure might find living in place like Garhwal hills very different, amazing.
One can walk for miles in clean pollution free atmosphere,without diesel fumes something which one can't even think of doing in Delhi or Mumbai.

One day, I had gone for a walk and having done that for a few Kms,I saw a man walk down  the hill........Bidi  in hand, whistling away to glory, a bag on his shoulders, shoes in bad shape, a small tin box carrying tools like a screw driver etc, singing a Pahadi song. Out of curiosity I asked him as to where was he coming from? Stove repair…smilingly, was his answer. This man walked up and down that steep hill to a house to repair a stove. And what did he charge for repairing a stove? Rs 5/ ?.This man claimed that he earns almost Rs20/day out of such repair jobs and is able to provide for his family.
He owns a house.
AND NOONE TALKS POLITICS.

Compare that to living in Delhi or Mumbai.
It is living in concrete jungle.
Visit charges of an electrician or a plumber are Rs 150/
Apartment costs nothing less than a couple of Crores.
No day is complete without having to inhale diesel fumes.
Pollution levels are something one can actually feel.
Noise pollution is deafenning.
Walking down the street could be a fatal.
Try and figure out if stress has let you whistle in recent past.
AND EVERYONE TALKS POLITICS.


How I wish I could spend my retired life there up in the hills.

BUT,I CAN NOT REPAIR STOVES.


                                       MY PICTURE WITH THE MAN OF THE MOMENT

DESH UBAL RAHA HAI.
PAPPU JAAG GAYA HAI


let us CHANGE INDIA for INDIA OF TOMORROW


b k chowla