ML Verma/ Shimla, Feb 15,
Himachal Pradesh, known for its breathtaking landscapes, serene apple orchards, and pristine rivers, is now making history for an entirely different reason—corruption scandals that could make even the most seasoned scamsters envious. Move over, Guinness World Records! If corruption had an Olympic event, Himachal’s corrupt could have bagged the gold.
Take the recent revelations from Chamba’s Tissa subdivision, where the spirit of innovation in corruption reached new heights—literally on the backs of mules! A vendor miraculously transported goods worth ₹1.53 crore using a single mule. Yes, you read that right. One mule, carrying material worth crores, at speeds that would make NASA reconsider their space shuttle designs. It’s no surprise that the vendor, despite receiving such hefty payments, still officially belongs to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category. Who knew poverty could be so lucrative?
This isn’t the first time Himachal’s corridors of power have produced scams so absurd they could pass as stand-up comedy scripts. First, apples were transported on scooters, leading many to believe that these weren’t ordinary two-wheelers but celestial chariots capable of carrying tons of fruit in one go. Then, water was reportedly ferried on motorcycles, leaving scientists baffled about whether this was a new breakthrough in fluid mechanics. And now, a single mule has outperformed an entire fleet of trucks, proving that divine intervention, rather than physics, dictates transport in Himachal Pradesh.
What’s more amusing—or tragic—is that the loot was so meticulously planned that payments were made through official channels, only to be rerouted into the accounts of panchayat representatives and their relatives. Imagine the scene: A humble villager wakes up to find crores deposited in his account, only to be told it’s a ‘clerical mistake’ that needs ‘redistribution’ to the real beneficiaries—his masters in the local administration.
The police, now playing the role of archaeologists unearthing fossils of corruption, have been digging into these scams. But the question remains: Will justice ever be served, or will another miracle animal soon be declared auspicious and given an exclusive contract? Perhaps next time, an ant will be credited for building roads, or a crow will be awarded a tender for aerial surveillance.
For now, Himachal’s people watch in amusement—and despair—as their state transforms into a living parody of governance. If this continues, Bollywood might have to abandon crime thrillers because reality here is far more entertaining than fiction!
