Stand-up comic up to no good

For all his verbal jugglery, funny man, Laloo really has nothing much to show for his performance. We now learn his much praised tenure as the rail minister was nothing but a fraud. Much like all of the UPA's "social justice" policies, Laloo's claim of having earned crores in profits for the railways is a sham. Here's what Mamta said in the Lok Sabha on Thursday -

“Some people have spoken about a profit of Rs 90,000 crore.
But one can just not talk about the income and skip the expenditure part. After
spending Rs 28,200 crore on account of the Sixth Pay Commission award for two
years, we are left with a cash surplus of just Rs 8,361 crore. This balance is
after taking the entire last five years into account,” Mamata Banerjee revealed
while replaying to the debate on Railway Budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha on
Thursday. [Link]

Here's a summary -

What Mamata exposed
One cannot just talk about income
and skip expenditure part
After spending Rs 28,200 crore on account of the
Sixth Pay Commission for two years, we are left with a cash surplus of just Rs
8,361 crore against much-hyped Lalu claim of Rs 90,000 cr of profit
This
balance is after taking the last five years into account
We are not here to
build up balances of the Ministry but to create infrastructure
Ministers may
come and go but the institution remains
We want a railway that is for
everyone and not for someone special
Reiterates her commitment to come out
with a white paper [Link]

Strangely, when faced with this damning revelation, he didn't seem to have much to say except put up a funny face.

A shell-shocked Lalu Prasad was left
speechless as Mamata seemed well-prepared and armed with every fact and figure
to supplement her claims. Lalu remained a mute spectator as the Bengal tigress
went on demolishing the myth he had created in all these years. “We are not here
to build up balances of the Ministry but to create infrastructure. Ministers may
come and go, but the institution remains. We want a Railway that is for everyone
and not for someone special,” Mamata said. [Link]

Yeah, and all this right under the nose of an "honest liberal economist".