Letters: Cost of a meal

This refers to Naresh Chandra Saxena's article, "A poor debate on poverty in India" (July 26). A Congress member of parliament (MP) has claimed it is possible to have a meal for Rs 12 in Mumbai. A single drumstick costs Rs 10 in the city. Another Congress leader says Rs 5 is enough for the same purpose in Delhi. The United Progressive Alliance government spent over Rs 28 lakh on a bash at the prime minister's residence in New Delhi to celebrate its third anniversary in 2012. According to a Right to Information disclosure, the cost of each dinner plate was Rs 7,700. The MP must have also been one of the distinguished diners. He should tell us why the government needed to spend so much money to celebrate three years of misrule when less expensive meals were available?

A Seshan Mumbai

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