34 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
Bihar and Orissa out of the total grant of 5 lakhs and 65 thousand Bihar got 5 lakhs and 15 thousand or 91 per cent with a population of 73 per cent, and Orissa got only 50 thousand or
9 per cent while its population was as much as 27 per cent. The same inequity is noticeable in the distribution of grants in the three areas of the Madras Presidency.
There was not only no principle, there was shameful favouritism in the distribution of the fund. Out of the total of
49½ lakhs which was distributed in the three years Gujrath— Mr. Gandhi’s province—got 26 14 [ lakhs while the rest of India got ]
23 lakhs. This means that a population numbering 29 14 [ lakhs ] got 26 14 [ lakhs while the rest of India numbering about 23 crores ] got 23 lakhs ! !
There was no check, no control, no knowing for what purpose money was voted and to whom it was granted. Note the following cases :—
| Table | 4 |
|---|---|
| Moneys allotted but kept at the Disposal of Individuals without Appropriating WKHPWRDQ\VSHFLÀHGSXUSRVH | Moneys allotted without Appropri- ation to any purpose without naming the guarantee |
| Rs. Moulvi Badrul Hasan ...... 40,000 T. Prakasam ... ... ... 7,000 C. Rajagopalachariar ... 1,000 Barajaj ... ... ... 20,000 Mr. Gandhi ... ... ... 1,00,000 | Rs. To Gujrath ... ... 3,00,000 To Gujrath ... ... 18,00,000 To Gujrath ... ... 3,00,000 |
It is not known whether these huge sums kept at the disposal of the named payees were accounted for or who received the formidable amounts made payable to the nameless payees. Even if there were satisfactory answers to these questions there can be no doubt that a worse case of frenzied finance of extravagance and waste, it would be very difficult to find. It is a sad episode marked by a reckless plunder committed by the predatory leaders of the Congress of public money for nursing their own constituencies without any qualms of conscience.
It is unnecessary to pursue the story of the organized and systematic loot by Congressmen of the balance of 1 crore and