The communication revolution Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, there was useful investment, useful expenditure with a great return not only to the society but to the industry. But in the last five years, actually the Government expenditure has increased by 30 per cent, unproductive expenditure; the revenue had dipped by 10 per cent. Usually the Congress party speaks, the UPA Chairperson also speaks very high about the NREGP. Today morning also, the concerned, hon. Minister has stated as to how successful NREGP is. The entry of elected members marked the beginning of the new era in the life of the Council. Congress veteran Shri Pherozeshah Mehta, the first elected Indian Member. Sir Pherozeshah Mehta was known as Lion of Bombay for his contribution to the city and at the same time, Ferocious Mehta because of his role as a Legislator. In order to stem the growth of the nationalist movement in India, Lord Lytton decided to censor the vernacular Press. Pherozeshah Mehta vehemently opposed the move. He believed that the press should be as free as possible, and that it was the fundamental duty of the government to educate the masses. England must raise India to her own level, or India will drag her down to hers, he warned. Sir Pherozeshah Mehta's career was summarized by a leading British journalist who said that Mehta had stood alone against the bureaucracy, had displayed a courage equal to Gokhale's an eloquence hardly second to Surendranath Banerjee's and power of sarcasm hardly rivaled by Motila Ghose's. During 1890-1909, besides Sir Mehta, the Council had great stalwarts like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Ashutosh Mukherjee, Rash Bihari Ghose, Salimulla who made full use of limited opportunities for ventilating the grievances of the people.
