While our country collects taxes in a stringent and calculated method, the government spending of that money is anything but. From using our money to glorify egomaniacs to sending a million SMSes, there’s no end to the schemes and excuses made to waste money. Instead of this pointless expenditure, it would be so much better to use our money to help the hungry, like what the Robin Hood Army is doing.
Here are some ways in which the government spends huge amounts of money.
1. Yoga Day – Rs. 15.87 crore on SMSes
Plus more than 92 lakhs on yoga mats. And there wasn’t a single person who actually liked that constant barrage of Yoga Day SMSes.
2. AAP ads – Rs. 526 crore
The Aam Aadmi Party recently spent around Rs. 526 crore ads for their campaign, money which could have easily been used for almost any other reason, especially considering how crappy the ads actually were.
3. Rs 6000 crore spent by the central govt. in last 11 years on ads
Publicity doesn’t come cheap, but that’s ok when it’s the taxpayers money being spent to highlight government achievements of course. Check out this page that explains just how much money is in politics, or the lack thereof.
4. Commonwealth Games India – $4.1 billion
The short term injection of tourism into the economy wasn’t nearly enough to outweigh the economic disruption and displacement caused by this colossal fail of an event. One of the worst and most costly decisions our country ever made. Not to mention those ugly clothes and bags.
5. Making Vaastu compliant buildings in Hyderabad – More than Rs. 200 crore
Telangana CM KC Rao recently ordered the restructuring of different government complexes because they were not constructed keeping correct ‘vaastu’ in mind. Apparently, even Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu believes in these ridiculous and regressive practises, which cost the taxpayers hundreds of crores.
6. Arvind Kejriwal’s electricity bill – Rs 1.36 lakh
He has claimed that the high bill was due to the fact that the house is also used as an office. The fact that the house allegedly has 30 ACs isn’t helping his case however.
7. Uttar Pradesh Food Grain Scam – $5.5 billion
The scam, which happened right under the nose of Mulayam Singh, resulted in food grain worth billions, meant for the poor as welfare, being sold into the open market. Farmers, workers, children, all starved, while the food was hoarded and smuggled to make the rich richer (and fatter).
This Independence Day, we have joined the Robin Hood Army and Uber to launch #Mission100k.
#Mission100k is a war which Indian and Pakistani students are fighting together against hunger. The campaign aims to unite students to rally together and serve food to 100,000 homeless countrymen on both sides of the border.
