Hundred Lakh (WTF)?

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The Lakh-Ten Lakh-Crore system is confusing enough for those of us who have been taught the Thousand-Hundred Thousand-Million system. We use the Thousand-Hundred Thousand-Million system in our daily routine (work and conversations) and that makes us roll our eyes every time amounts are denoted in Lakh-Ten Lakh-Crore.

NOW… we have Hundred Lakh?? When did Hundred Lakh get added to the South Asian numbering system? This is just making shit up. As if things weren't confusing enough already.

161 Lakh > 16100000 > 16,100,000 (Sixteen Million One Hundred Thousand) > 1,61,00,000 (One Crore Sixty One Lakh).

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PLEASE NOTE: I am not a fan of Pranab Moorakh jee Mukherjee. I think he is an imbecile. I am not a Congress supporter. Furthermore, YES - Routine maintenance and upkeep DOES cost. However, the extravagance in this case is over the top. I do believe that this amount could have been better utilised.

There are comments on the 'news' article and the entire tone is set as if Pranab Mukherjee and members of the Congress took the money and deposited it in their respective Swiss Bank Accounts (do go through the comments and see for yourself).

It is a bit surprising because Belgaum is in Karnataka and Congress is NOT the ruling party in the state. Maintenance of the Circuit House is a function of the State PWD. Further, use of the words 'used just for an hour' in the headline is completely unnecessary and (judging from majority of the comments) misleading.

It may be worth pointing out that the Circuit House wasn't just erected / renovated for the President's one hour stay. The structure will be used for visits by various officials. That's why it is there in the first place. The use may be for official or unofficial purposes - will discuss that at a later time.

I am not suggesting that no one made money when deciding which contractors or suppliers will be enlisted to carry out the renovation. In all likelihood commission / gifts / favours would have been exchanged. Frown upon it as much as you want but that is how things get done (not just in India, btw). My personal views on that will be a topic for another post, some other time.