Didi Does Have a Brain After All

When Mamata Banerjee started yelling against the petrol price hike, I thought, “God! Is this woman insane or what?!”. As a sort of challenge, I decided I’d try and find something positive to say about her by the end of the blog.

Even though she’s part of the ruling coalition, she didn’t attend the EGoM meeting where it was decided to deregulate petrol prices. I am guessing her attendance record at EGoM meetings must be similar to most MPs’ attendance in Parliament!

If she didn’t understand what the word “deregulation” means, she should have asked. She had plenty time to learn what the term meant: after all, the decision to deregulate petrol prices wasn’t made recently (it was made in June last year). Didi apparently decided that ignorance is bliss. Typical.

I guess it’s too much to ask this genius CM of Bengal to look at some figures of the extent of losses on the still-regulated fuels like diesel, kerosene and LPG (she could ask the center or search the Internet, but I guess that’s assuming she’s even heard of the Net):

So where is this under-recovery to be filled from? Ah yes, hers not to provide solutions, hers only to scream and cry. Even more typical.

You might say that if she does care about the petrol price hike, and she doesn’t rule at the center, then she can’t do anything (other than protest), right? Wrong. The difference in petrol price between Kolkata and Delhi is almost Rs 4.50. She could reduce Bengal’s state taxes on petrol to compensate for the price hike.

Apparently, even she realizes the impact on state revenues if she reduced state taxes on petrol. Which is why she doesn’t do it. Maybe she does understand a bit of economics after all. See, I told you I’d find something good to say about her by the end of the article.

Comments

  1. KumarNovember 9, 2011 at 4:46 PM

    Sure, didi is not walking about entirely without her brain functioning, though sometimes she keeps people guessing about this matter!

    Apart from her collecting tax on petrol, she has bargained for funds for Bengal from the center which was because of her tantrums. By the way, nobody has forgotten the messy situation she created at Singur; at that time her tantrums had pure negative effect. This time she seems to be gained something. That apart, she has been declared some kind of a "mental case" in the TV discussion, but politicians are used to abuses; so she may not even notice such things.

    See her ingenious solution to get the release of her party's goons who were in jail. She mobilized a crowd, stormed the police station and ensured the instant release of the criminals! Unbelievable it may look, but Indian democracy is unbelievable!! Not only she has opened a proven path to all parties to ensure that party goons are above the law, but also she has proved that India is worse than the worst African or Asian country when it comes to repulsive behavior by a ruler.

    God save West Bengal, but will He? The Bengalis seem to so engrossed in confusion that they appear not to want their state to fare better. Naturally they get the politicians they deserve.

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