M A I L B A G

PM should keep his promise on Lok Pal Bill

Apropos of the editorial “Elusive Lok Pal” (Oct 1), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his address to the all-India conference of Lok Ayuktas, has suggested the inclusion of the office of Prime Minister within the ambit of Lok Pal. He has also promised to get a Bill passed in the winter session of Parliament. This shows his commitment to ensuring purity in public life, notwithstanding his compulsions of coalition politics.

The editorial raises a pertinent question whether Parliament will really enact the legislation this time. The issue of tainted ministers stalled the proceedings in Parliament for quite some time. People will watch with interest how Dr Manmohan Singh would strike a balance between his personal commitment and political compulsions as regards the Lok Pal Bill..

G.S. KHURANA, Amritsar

II

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh have stressed the need for an ombudsman at the Centre. The latter seems determined to get the Lok Pal Bill passed at the earliest. He should also ensure that all the politicians, legislators and ministers are covered in the Bill. Complaints should be disposed of within a specific time frame. The Lok Pal’s recommendations should be duly implemented by the government. And every state must have Lok Ayukta. It would be better if renowned jurists are associated with the formulation of the Lok Pal Bill.

Let not the wicked escape. Let not the innocent suffer. Let not petty vested interests of the politicians dampen the genuine intentions of Dr Kalam and Dr Manmohan Singh to cleanse the system of the evil of corruption.

Prof SUDARSHAN DHINGRA, Abohar

Lax security

The discovery of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles in different parts of the country point towards the loopholes in security arrangements. The authorities easily blame terrorists but if there is no lapse in our security system, they cannot cross the border and reach inside, there is something wrong on the security in and around the border.

The officials should learn lessons from the Purulia arms drop case a few years back. The government should take strict action against those responsible for this.

Mohd SHAFI, Rohtak

Delightful middle

This is apropos of Saroop Krishen’s delightful middle “Stories that Scots coined” (Oct 8) on the endearing characteristic of the Scots to be over careful about money and their even more endearing readiness to coin these jokes at their expense so long as they fetch money. Here is one more about the Scots.

An English daily had made it a practice of publishing a joke every day about the Scots. One Scot who was not amused by these jokes lost his patience one day and wrote to the editor of that daily threatening that if the daily did not stop publishing such hurtful jokes, he would be forced to stop borrowing the paper.

P.H. VAISHNAV, Chandigarh

No posting orders

I would like to urge the Punjab government to consider the plight of the unemployed lecturers in English, selected by the Punjab Public Service Commission, Patiala, in January, 2004. All the 61 successful lecturers have undergone medical test and police verification and have been waiting for appointment since January, 2004.

These lecturers belong to 1999 and 2001 batches whose selections were scrapped by the Congress government due to the job-on-cash scam involving Ravi Sidhu. The selection process was re-conducted by the PPSC in January, 2004, and most candidates made it to the second list also. But they have not yet been appointed. The academic session has started with an acute shortage of lecturers in the government colleges. Therefore, the government should give posting orders to the selected English lecturers soon.

IQBAL SINGH SIDHU, Guru Nanak College, Killianwali (Muktsar)

Life in Malana

Being a surveyor of Himachal Pradesh, I appeal to the Himachal Pradesh government to commission a study on the lifestyle and social system of the people of Malana village. Most residents here depend upon various herbs and cannabis. As this is a unique village with a different lifestyle and habits, an exclusive study is worthy of consideration.

H.S. CHOPRA, Taran Tarn

Traffic jam

At Buria Chowk, Jagadhri, opposite Saraswati Vidya Mandir, there is traffic jam always due to the timber market. In the morning, there is no way to go to school because of the obstruction of traffic by tractor trollies. Brokers stand there to sell the timber. Sometimes they use vulgar language. Complaints have been filed in the local committee and the Deputy Commissioner’s office, but in vain. Sometimes, students get hurt while entering the school gate. The staff also get late due to this problem.

VINEY MOHAN, Lecturer, Saraswati VidyaMandir, Jagadhari

Of Laloo and Pappu The editorial “Laloo can’t say No” (Oct 7) depicts the sorry state affairs in Bihar politics. Pappu Yadav was arrested on murder charge and was in jail. But when he quit the Jan Shakti Party, Laloo Yadav picked him up to stand on the RJD ticket for Madhepura Lok Sabha by-election. It is strange that a lower court granted him regular bail to openly canvass for his election campaign. He even hosted a farewell party to the jail staff! Subsequently, the Supreme Court cancelled the bail and put Pappu back in the jail. By maintaining that Laloo Yadav “exposed his own vulnerability rather than strength” and that Pappu Yadav’s rise “symbolises the coming of age of criminal politician”, the editorial has rightly put the ball in the people’s court. M.P.S. RANDHAWA, Dhapai (Kapurthala)