Breaking news from Bihar: shiny techno toys NOT a solution to corruption or poverty

In an effort to cut out the middleman paying workers governed by the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the Central Bank of India debuted a biometric ATM -- essentially hoping to democratize access to banking by finding a way for illiterate people to interface with financial institutions.

Problem, though? Probably not a good idea to roll this bad boy out in Bihar, where the local honcho is refusing to deposit wages into the bank, because "it's a complicated process."

The story about it in the Indian Express was a bit heartbreaking for me, especially reading about the daily wage earner who took part in a ceremony to celebrate the introduction of the new ATM; after flashing his thumbprint, a Rs 1,000 note was dispensed -- and then promptly recovered by the bank, because it was only for show. '“Since then, I have been waiting to use the machine again, but the mukhiya doesn’t let us,” [the daily wage earner] said.'

Sometimes, the strangest things make my heart hurt.

Good thing I don't plan on vacationing in Bihar!

Because, as Ramashankar warns us in "Drink at your own risk here" in today's HT, "a person caught drinking at a public place will have to pay Rs 251 as penalty and receive five punches (ghusas) in full public view."

But at least I'm not a bootlegger: a person caught selling liquor pays Rs 551 and gets 10 punches. This is all transpiring in villages falling under Bali panchayat of Fatuha block in rural Patna.

I really don't even have snark for this. Public punching as punishment? And it's 2007? And India is the Next Big Thing?