M A I L B A G

HUDA should cut delay and hasten work

Why should the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) take 7-9 months for completing the formalities regarding plot allotment? While it pays no interest to the applicants (for this period), they are forced to pay interest to the banks for the earnest money financed by them. When companies are able to complete a public issue within a month, why can’t HUDA follow suit?

The collection banks of HUDA plots are spread out in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. In case of public issue, banks are spread over the country, but the process is completed within a month. The companies never extend the period for submission of applications. But for HUDA, extension has become a routine affair.

In case of defence personnel, ex-servicemen and NRIs, HUDA gives one month extra time for submitting applications. Though no such extra time is given for public issue, the applicants manage to get their share applications processed within a week.

Companies attend to complaints promptly, but no one bothers in HUDA. The number of applications for shares is much larger than those for HUDA plots. Share applications contain lot of information whereas HUDA applications are simple, requiring no time for filling up. Even then, share applications are disposed of within a month as against 7-9 months taken by HUDA.

V.P. JINDAL, Panchkula

Deplorable road The condition of the road from Phillaur to Chandigarh on the Nawanshahr highway is deplorable. The numerous potholes cause extensive damage to the vehicles. While many roads in Punjab are being recarpeted, not even patch work has been undertaken on this road. Apparently, no engineer, official or Minister has ever used this road. To reach Balachaur, people should either go via Uppra, Banga, Nawanshahr or the Aur- Nawanshahr route. The two alternative routes are somewhat better but certainly circuitous routes consume more time, energy and fuel. I don’t know how the villagers and NRIs in this region have suffered silently the agony of travelling on this road or taking the alternative longer routes. Though the whole stretch (barring a few kilometres) needs recarpeting, the patchwork can be undertaken without delay for which, we are sure, funds are available with the department. Dr J.K. CHAWLA and SAMANPREET KAUR, Ludhiana

Exploiting workers

I appreciate Rashmi Sehgal’s article “Post-liberalisation, workers lose jobs” (Oped Page, The Tribune, April 30) which reveals many anti-social trends in Indian corporate houses. An independent and free Press is an indispensable pillar of democracy.

It can be clearly seen from the report that the “feel-good” impression amongst the Indians is a mirage based on the easy availability of imported consumer goods flaunting latest technology which has forced a large number of indigenous industries to shut down depriving a large skilled work force of jobs and livelihood. It will also hit the Indian economy in the long run.

The companies now deliberately give their workers targets too high to be achieved within normal working hours and often during weekends and holidays without paying overtime allowance. By resorting to ad hocism and outsourcing and dangling the carrots of good reports, incentives and out-of-turn promotions, trade unionism has been given a death blow denying the workers any leverage to get their rightful due.

ARIDAMAN SINGH JHUBAL,
Amritsar

Encroachments galore

The Municipal Corporation authorities of Bathinda should remove the encroachment made by some shopkeepers on the municipal land adjacent to their shops. They have made alterations in their shops allotted to them near Purana Thana. This is illegal. Two shops were allotted to an ice cream manufacturer. These shops and about 20-25 rehris are causing nuisance and disturbing peace in the residential area. Despite repeated requests, the Corporation authorities have not taken any action in this regard.

SUBHASH CHANDER
and three others, Bathinda

Burning trees

Every year, farmers burn wheat straw in fields. As a result, a large number of trees get burnt either fully or partially. When the fire reaches the roads passing through the fields, the old and new trees planted by the Forest Department are burnt. No concrete measures are being taken by the department concerned to save the trees from burning due to the fire.

This has resulted in ecological imbalance affecting the health of the people. Many people suffer from eye and lung diseases due to the emission of poisonous smoke and other gases. What is the State Pollution Control Board doing? Condign punishment should be given to the erring farmers. Either fine should be imposed or the farmers should be forced to plant at least 10 times the new plants in place of the burnt trees.

Burning of wheat straw should be banned. The farmers should be educated on this menace and social and religious organisations should come forward to prevent the trees from fire.

BALWINDER SINGH, Moga

Ban on smoking

This has reference to the editorial on the recent order by the Supreme Court banning smoking in public places from May 1. The ban has not been ordered by the court for the first time, but the same has not been implemented effectively as the various agencies are ill-prepared to do so.

The need of the hour is not new laws but their effective implementation. The more new laws, the more loopholes, which means new problems. Improving the efficiency and quality of enforcement of the existing laws is required urgently; otherwise the recent ban on smoking will also go up in air like tobacco smoke.

Dr. Rajinder Singh Bedi,
Patiala

II

Apropos of the ban on smoking at public places, the authorities should first classify “public places”. The law should be well defined, lest it becomes a tool for public harassment by our so-called law enforcing authorities.

sandeep kanwar, Patiala