Came across this interesting website called Citizens Against Government Waste (Link via The Adam Smith Institute blog).
The site functions as a ‘wastewatcher’ complete with a wastewatcher newsletter to draw attention to waste and abuse in government programs, policies, and events that might otherwise go unnoticed. And they choose a Porker of the Month to identify the most wasteful representatives.
They also have a Waste Blog with this latest post – Fraud drained $1 billion from Iraq’s defense efforts.
What a wonderful concept. Just the thing India needs.
Top on my list of taxpayer moneygate would be the security cover for politicians and celebrities. Sometime last year, India Today had carried an article on the latest celebrities to be provided with Z plus security cover – Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Z+ security involves 11 commandos, a pilot and escort car; just security cover for the PM and ex-PMs sets the nation back by Rs. 100 crore every year… Another ‘celebrity’ who has been provided with this cover is Praveen Togadia. HC dismisses plea for review of ‘Z-plus’ security to Togadia, proudly says this piece in the HVK website (Hindu Vivek Kendra – a resource centre for the promotion of Hindutva – I just googled and got there – please spare me the dirty looks).
What other wastewatching can you think of?
I thought for film personalities etc, they pay for the extra security measures!
I agree with Anand. Why should taxpayers have to foot even a paisa of the celebrity security bill?
Well, I certainly hope so!
Charu
I dont know if someone is watching the trips made by these Foreign Services types. Aparrently these fact finding studies that these government teams undertake, with their families, must be costing the tax pay quite a bit as well. I do not have any stats to backup my peeve.
Sourin
just look at the number of ministers that you have in a given state cabinet. What can be more wasteful than that. i think that the UP government has some 113 ministers – the bulk of them without portfolio, but entitled to all the perks of a minister.
What can be more wasteful than that?
Hi Charu
Do celebrities really get security protection at government expense? Why? Sachin Tendulkar has crores to pay for his own security.
Ash deserves the security as an icon of India more than our dishonest people enjoying thensecurity and doing wrong things. She is a target since she refused to dance in dirty places unlike shah rukh khan and others. International image of india will be down if people like Ash get hurt by some foolish element. She is famous and law abiding. Her fame may make her a target, like our great Tendulkar, some idiot may hurt him saying why you didnt score in test match?
Harini, true. UP is really ridiculous – but in any case what difference would a portfolio make?
Sourin, that is a fringe benefit…. part of the deal for the foreign services types and the extremely minor politician types too:)
Michael and others, that is the impression I got from reading the India Today article – (unfortunately I cannot access it on the net since I do not subscribe to it) but I am not so sure if they also pay for it themselves (as some of you have said here – will try to research this a bit more)… and in any case the politicians do not – even the minor ones – why Togadia for instance?
I will prefer that Ash and sachin get protection rather than some leaders who have criminal records and have to be protected because their enemies would knock them off. Their work as leader has not been the cause of problems but their earlier background. Ash or tendulkar have upheld our image and are easy targets for any bad guy who may want easy publicity. Think of the bad name India will get if any attempt is made to trouble these and the very few other icons.God protect them and bless those who work for our good image.
I think an investigation can also be launched into all the “Pro Poor Govt Programs” as nothing reaches the poor and just gets “wasted” on the way. This is a double waste