Indian Budget 05-06

First thoughts - it is *utterly* ridiculous to charge people 0.1 percent tax on withdrawal of more than 10,000 on any given day.

Well, what big purchase can one do with less than 10000 ? TV ? Fridge ? Washing Machine ? forget Houses, cars etc

It is awful to even consider the government discouraging people to withdraw money by imposing tax.

Would they atleast guarantee some standard of service. Recently I had the unfortunate experience of spending some time at an Indian bank after 4 years outside the country.

The experience was, to put it mildly, mind-numbing.

First they counters were titled 'Cash Payments', 'Cash Receipts'. So payments mean - you pay the bank or does the bank pay you ? what does receipts mean ?

Why can't it be simply 'withdrawal' 'deposits' ?

One has to fill different colored 'chalans' to deposit in different type of accounts ?. Assuming this preposterous limitation to be operational, would one not expect that to be listed somewhere ?

One has to do all transactions with a 'teller' and finally stand in another line to get your 'passbook' updated !!

Stop this non-sense - for all the rip-off of money - atleast provide the customers some decent service.

To top it all - they work only uptil 1.30 in most nationalised banks..... give us all a break !

The jewel in the crown is - none of these places fail to hang the commandment from Gandhi which goes like 'Customer is always right'....

yeah whatever...

Fall of Lalu

Well, not complete yet - but still not a single bit sad about the event...lets keep watching closely.....

Democracy in India

Democracy in India has now become totally bereft of any logic or sense. *Every* possible institution in the country dances to the tune of the Central Government.

Saddest thing of all is the fact that, even President is bound by the cabinet's recommendation on almost any thing.

The unparliamentary (whoever invented the word unparliamentary, would be suffering from the abuse of the word - i think from now on it should be called as parliamentary) sacking of Governers, governments at the behest of the ruling party is nothing but mockery of people.

Granted that the fathers of the constitution could not have thought of such crazy, selfish and money-minded politicians - but hey that begs the question how on earth, in 50 odd years, can people change, to the point being beyond reconciliation ?

Is that not a shameful reflection on the discipline of the *ALL* systems in the country - education, justice, moral and social ? to produce such hapless, incorrigible and miserable people that are the so-called ruling class ? what ails politics ?

Any fact-finding mission can only blame it on the Society. How ? How ? How ? can a country with such great people, kind souls, compassionate hearts and sincere minds turn itself into such a mess ?

Dismissal of Government in Goa

It is one of *the* most funniest events in the recent political past.

Think of this - a 'vote of confidence' motion is marred by controversy. Speaker ejects independent MLA just before the voting. No one wants to investigate why certain MLAs suddenly withdrew support. Speaker declares that the Government has the confidence of representatives. Governer dismisses the government before even the 'official report' from the speaker is received and installs a new opposition backed government at midnight to complete grand show.

Why is it that, one gets a feeling,

• all the money spent on elections goes down the drain ?
• could it not be better spent on infrastructure & upliftment ?
• no one person can clean this political mess ?
• no single politician has the word 'honesty' or 'service' in his vocabulary

Gone are the days, when democracy was 'For the people, By the people, Of the People' now it is 'For Money, By Money, of money'....it is just another business

Unfortunately so - !