The New Nation - Internet Edition

The marathon budget speech of our Finance Minister AMA Muhith appears to be a political statement rather than a clear-cut and fool-proof financial statement of our annual income and expenditure, up to date outstanding amount of our foreign loan, cash in hand in our public exchequer as on 1st June 2009, our future development projects, accountability and transparency of our various undisclosed huge expenditures on payment of total salary of our Ministers, PM, Govt. officers and employees, foreign tours of Ministers and govt. offices, Ministers and MPs, state functions and entertainments and so on and so forth.

So what pittance amount of balance money is left out of total budget of Tk 1,13,819 crore for the welfare of our common and poor people?

Are we accustomed and habituated to taking more and more foreign loan at the cost of unbearable burden on our poor people: Is this applicable for construction of Padma Bridge, underground Dhaka railway and many other projects?

Why is there frequent electricity failure and load sheding and untold sufferings of our people when our Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban, our Ministers, MPS, political leaders, top govt. servants, rich people's residences, offices, posh hotels and restaurants, foreign embassies, public and private establishments have been installed with air-conditioners, IPS, and electric generators?

O. H. Kabir

Dhaka