Lies, white lies and statistics - the Ghutka story
There is a nationwide drive for revenue from Gutka and Pan masala units. It all started a few months ago and instructions were issued to keep a close watch on the units. What is a close watch? An officer quipped that means: Keep a constant watch so that the unit will close functioning. Well, now after three months, it is time to check the result of these intensive controls on the units.
It is learnt that the Board has called for the revenue per machine after the drive and before the drive period. Board vide Circular dated September 7, 2007 ordered for sealing the machines which are not working. So now after the drive has been launched, the denominator automatically goes down and the Board will get a magnificent report from the field that the revenue per machine is increasing!
This is how it may look like:
If the revenue from a Gutka unit having 20 machines was Rs 2,00,000/- per month during the pre-drive period, the revenue per machine per month was Rs 10,000/- Now, after the drive, let us assume 10 machines of the unit which are not working are sealed by the department as per the Board's directions, the revenue will be the same Rs 2,00,000 from 10 machines and thus for each machine, it will be Rs 20,000/-
So, revenue of Rs 10,000 per machine has doubled to Rs 20,000 a machine, which indeed is a great achievement. That's why they say Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.