Mumbai tears flood Delhi

July 28th, post noon when Delhities were praying for monsoon they would not have realized that how painful the blessings of Indra (God of Rains) would be. Later that evening clouds pour and poured like hell. It rained cats and dogs, temperature went down by 10 degree within few hours, and before the capital city could realize the magnitude of pour all major roads were flooded with water, traffic started stacking up and Delhities experienced what Mumbikars have always been complaining off for ages. It took 4 hours to travel a distance that otherwise in normal circumstances would not have taken more than 40 minutes. Buses went off road, no shades for bikers & pedestrians and cars move inches. Welcome to the monsoon of Mumbai in Delhi. Not that my heart did not felt for Delhi, after all I too was a Delhitie and have praised it’s infrastructure for long.

However, there are definitely few points to understand. For the city that pay more tax than Delhi, Pune and Bangalore put together pays faces this grilling situation every monsoon. While monsoon brings smile for most part of the country, for Mumbaikars it is also a matter of twinge concern. The age old drainage system clutches within few hours of rain, and the city, which pay thousands of corer as tax comes to standstill. Schools are shut, offices have lowest productivity and business is at its nadir. And what city gets to manage this flood like situation are pea nuts. Sad, but its fact that the financial capital of India does not have appropriate funds to keep its gutters clean.

Delhi on the other hand enjoys zenith of infrastructure. Probably (my guess), Delhi has more flyovers than what rest of the metros put together has. Delhi metro received more attention, and higher priority than what Bandra-Worli sea link. While Delhi metro set new standards of quality and speed, Bandra-Worli sea link continued to be at mercy of filthy politics.

I understand that the national capital deserves the attention and priority it gets but I also protest against the lewd attitude our politicians and bureaucrats demonstrate when it comes to funding infrastructure projects in Mumbai and elsewhere in the country.

I hope that the experience of July 28th would make politicians at center little sensitive towards the situations elsewhere in the country and would understand the pain that Mumbai goes through each monsoon. If they earn sanity, Mumbaikers would definately enjoy next monsoon.

Court Vs Government

A Landmark judgment from Karnataka state high court today. Justice N Kumar today declared entry tax levied by state on vehicles as unconstitutional and asked state government to refund the tax collected during specific time frame. The tax varied from 4% to 15% depend on type of vehicle and age of vehicle. Thanks to about 150 petitioners who challenged the provision. While the story for extra tax burden for vehicle owners ended here, the statement from High court is send out impressive message to law makers and people with narcissism interest.

Here is extracts from what honorable Judge has to say in this case.

“The objective of our Constitution makers was free movement and exchange of goods throughout India. It is essential for the economy of India and for sustaining improving living standards of its people. It should ultimately lead to one-country one-people concept and economic benefit of the development should reach every citizen wherever he lives. The people of the state must sink and swim together. The long-run prosperity and salvation lies in union and not division. Economic unity is the main force for achieving cultural and political unity and stability and progress can be achieved only be demolishing artificial boundaries and barricades and should be sidelined”.
Justice N Kumar

“Shot circuit measures of imposition of tax will not work in the longer run. They are against the principles enunciated in Article 301 of free movement of goods and articles 304(a), which is against levying of any discriminating tax. A state cannot exercise legislative power contrary to constitutional scheme and take away the benefit accrued to common man”.
Justice N Kumar