Taxing gift: Raiding education funds for MS Dhoni's men

NEW DELHI: Team India's World Cup is brimming over with state largesse. Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Punjab have been quick to reach into their pockets as netas announce they are gifting cash, plots of land to MS Dhoni's men. But, some taxpayers are asking where the money is coming from. 

It is a good question considering the size and scale of the bequests, which have caused a nation bleeding blue just last week to turn green with envy. P Selvam, a 43-year-old businessman from Chennai, says, "It is audacious for state governments to be so generous with taxpayers' money. The DMK government has already eaten into the state coffers. But even when the model code of conduct is in force because of the elections, they did not shy away from announcing Rs 3 crore to the cricket team and Rs 1 crore to local lad R Ashwin. Who gave them the right to squander my money on these people without asking me?" 

Selvam speaks for many. A 'Concerned Netizen' posts on a microblogging website: "Who has given the rights to an elected politician to give away state land or flats? Who's to pay for this — income taxpayers' obviously, not the politician." 

TOI's investigation finds that much of the money is coming from the state education budget, at least in Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra. 

A Delhi finance ministry official explains: "There is some allocation in the annual education budget to give away cash rewards to outstanding sportspersons. So, it is that fund which we are using." But even he admits, "The awards announced by CM Sheila Dikshit will pose an additional burden to the state exchequer. This year's allocation for special prizes is just Rs 2.4 crore but Dikshit gave away Rs 6 crore." 

The shortfall is expected to be made up by either the education budget or money that would have otherwise been spent on social welfare projects. 

The "cash for cup" controversy has the potential to keep a lot of people very angry. A social networking group has already been set up and its name is significant: 'No to gifting of public funds 4 cricket World Cup winners'. 

The aam admi says there's a simple solution: Honour the deserving with awards instead of hard cash. Yamini Khanna, an 18-year-old college student from Surat, says: "Let's honour them in the real sense. Let's give Sachin the Bharat Ratna. Why give them free railway tickets when we know our rich cricketers are never going to travel by trains? Let's give free passes to students and those who need it!"