Making NSC more effective

  THE setting up of the National Security Council will be greatly appreciated by all those who have been feeling concerned about the country’s security. In fact, it was a long-pending demand which has now been fulfilled by the BJP-led coalition government.

The NSC includes the National Security Board and the Strategic Policy Group. While the former includes outside experts, the latter comprises bureaucrats and three Service Chiefs and the chief of the Intelligence Bureau.

Unfortunately, it is being politicised by certain vested interests. Some say that the idea was initially conceptualised by Rajiv Gandhi while others give credit to Mr V.P. Singh. Instead of wasting our time and energy in these unnecessary things, we should concentrate on strengthening the NSC set-up. There is a controversy over the appointment of the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr Brajesh Mishra, as the National Security Adviser. Since he is a very busy person and may not be able to deliver the goods, this point should be discussed and some other alternative found.

Here are some other suggestions: (a) The NSC should be free from politics. (b) It should have a constitutional guarantee so that it could not be wound up by anybody. (c) In addition to the Prime Minister the NSC should include the Leader of the Opposition. (d) The National Security Board comprises outside experts (non-official members) and hence their tenure should be fixed for five years or so.

ARJUN SINGH CHHETRI
Manjoo (Solan)

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Crusader for blood donation

Among the more than 200 unfortunate victims of the Khanna train accident was Dr Rakesh Arora, Assistant Professor and Head of the Blood Bank at the Amritsar medical college.

Dr Arora was the pioneer of “safe blood movement” in Amritsar and had dedicated himself to the promotion of blood donation in the district. It was due to his untiring efforts that many blood donation societies came up in the colleges and elsewhere in Amritsar, and blood donation camps were held regularly. As a result, even in the days of disturbances in the past decade there was no shortage of blood for patients in this district. The blood bank laboratory at the medical college in Amritsar was the first to start HIV testing, which set an example for other private blood banks in the city to follow.

In his untimely death Amritsar has lost a crusader for HIV prevention and safe blood donation. The example set by him needs to be followed by all doctors.

(Dr) DINESH KUMAR
State Coordinator, Punjab Service Doctors’ Organisation
Amritsar

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Encroachments on roads

It is good that the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has for once woken up to the nuisance of unauthorised encroachments on the city roads and lanes, and has started removing them.

It is very unfortunate that a large percentage of house-owners have encroached upon road berms outsidetheir houses, and fenced them with impunity for their own exclusive use.

Chandigarh is a city of largely literate people. Yet its residents have acted no better than the people elsewhere to prove that they are good and responsible citizens. It is high time the corporation takes cognisance of this problem and removes these encroachments wholesale, without fear or favour.

There is another problem. It is a cause for concern for road users. It is the roadside kerbs which run along both sides of the roads in Chandigarh. The standard height of these kerbs is 8” above road level. This kerb height enables car-owners to park their vehicles by the kerb-side, open the car door on the left side without hitting the kerb stone. This allows the passenger to step on to the road berm.

What has happened is that people have raised the height of these kerbs to 1’-6” to 2’-0”, thus making it impossible for cars to be parked by the kerb-side. With a high-rise kerb, the car door on the left side cannot be opened. Therefore, cars have to be parked at least 3’ away from the kerb towards the middle of the road, reducing the road width considerably. This becomes a cause for road accidents. This problem too needs to be tackled.

A.L. KRISHNA
Chandigarh

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Drive against greenery!

The drive launched by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to remove the hedges grown in front of the houses in various sectors has led to a large-scale destruction of greenery and flower plants. While no one will object to the removal of unauthorised structures built on public land, it is regrettable that the hedges, which neither cause inconvenience nor obstruction in any manner, are being bulldozed recklessly, spoiling in the process small plants and flowers beds, which people have grown by investing a lot of money and labour. The trail of ugly scene left behind is aptly depicted by an Urdu couplet:

Sheikh ne masjid bana, mismaar but khana kiya,

Pehle ik surat bhi thi, ab saaf virana kiya.

Another cause for heart-burning is that the corporation’s step is discriminatory in nature. Many houses of government officers, who have encroached upon large areas by growing tall hedges, remain totally untouched.

A former Deputy Mayor, Mr Prem Sagar, is reported to have observed that the “drive is directionless, aimless and without prior approval of the House”. Municipal officials have tried to justify this activity for carpeting the roads. Their explanation is worse than useless as hedges do not cause any hindrance in the road carpeting work or the free flow of traffic.

This vandalism, if continued unchecked, would lead to the uglification of the City Beautiful, which enjoys the present distinction not only for its planning and architecture but also because of the active participation of its residents whose endeavour is to keep it clean. The present drive for destruction should, therefore, be stopped forthwith.

VIKAS AWASTHY
Chandigarh

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BJP & insurance sector

Finally, the government has decided to throw open the insurance sector to the private sector and allow foreign ownership up to 40 per cent, including an NRI shareholding of 16 per cent. While presenting the annual Budget in July, the Finance Minister had announced plans to open up the insurance sector to the private sector. But the issue was referred to ministers on the quantum of foreign equity holding.

What the BJP government has done is good news for big companies. But this was never the policy of the BJP. It had raised anti-globalisation slogans when it was in the Opposition. A surprising change, indeed.

SUNIL K. DOGRA
Chandigarh