Petty officials take charge

There are many reasons why the Sonia-Manmohan government has taken India downhill but possibly the most important is weak political leadership at the top. This has caused petty officials to assume huge powers they should never have. I offer you two illustrations. The first involves an NRI friend who made a lot of money in a foreign land and decided that he would give some back to our dear Bharat Mata by investing in a fine college. To buy land for it he brought into India more than Rs 50 crore. Unforeseen events made him realise he had chosen the wrong spot in the wrong state. So he sold the land and tried to take his money out of the country again. Years have gone by and he has not been able to.

Petty officials down the line have tied him in knots for reasons only Indian officials can conjure up. One was that they were suspicious about why anyone would want to do something good for India. Finally, they conceded that the investment was legitimate and agreed to release his money but at the last minute they discovered a 'glitch' in Rs 80 lakh. The money remains stuck.

The second example is of a reputable, eminent Indian businessman who tried to invest in the defence sector in a perfectly lawful manner. He bought land, hired workers, invested in offices and equipment, only to suddenly find himself the subject of an endless series of CBI investigations. Not even the intercession of senior ministers could stop the harassment. Finally, the CBI concluded that he was not a spy, an arms smuggler or any other kind of enemy of the nation. But, just as he was about to get on with his work, the CBI began harassing him again on the grounds that he might be a money launderer. So the investigations continue.

... contd.

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