M A I L B A G

Job scheme must help the poor

Reference Bharat Dogra’s article “Employment scheme raises hopes” (April 29). The employment guarantee schemes may not provide jobs to the local people. For example, in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Bihari and Nepali people are mainly working instead of local population.

The objective of providing food and nutritional security to the people by providing foodgrains as part payment of wages may be circumvented because the labour may take cash from the depot holders instead of the rotten and low quality foodgrains allotted. Similarly, the EGS provision for guaranteed employment to a registered family within 15 days of applying could lead to the selection of unsuitable and non-essential works.

The EGS should actually target the below poverty level (BPL) families, women, SCs, STs and handicapped persons. Provisions of Right to Information, people’s participation and social audit need to be stressed for obvious benefits. If the EGS takes care of such issues, it would achieve its avowed objectives.

ABHISHEK JAIN, IAS, Asst. Commissioner (Development), Dharampur (HP)

Ignoring Sanskrit

Nowadays private B.Ed colleges are mushrooming in Punjab. But the college managements have been neglecting Sanskrit as a teaching subject. There is no post of Sanskrit lecturer in these colleges. This is unfortunate.

Though hundreds of students opt for Sanskrit as a subject in Punjab’s undergraduate classes, they are not lucky enough to get admission in B.Ed colleges. There is only one B.Ed college (for both Punjab and Chandigarh) where Sanskrit is taught.

Prof PARVEEN RANA, Hoshiarpur

Indecent ads

Two ads — one sponsored by a rice processing company and the other by a paint manufacturer — currently being screened on all TV channels, show the Indian women in a poor light. What to say of modern woman, even some villagers, who are illiterate, would not behave like the two women shown in the ads. I wonder why no NGO, especially those connected with women’s welfare, has come out against these ads.

V.M. SETH, Hisar

Wires exposed

The uncovered joints of electric wires at Kittna village in Garhshanker tahsil of Hoshiarpur district are exposed, posing danger to the local residents. Complaints to the department to this effect evoked no response. Will the authorities concerned take immediate action?

PARVINDER SINGH KITTNA, Kittna (Hoshiarpur)

Gift to Patiala

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has added another feather in his cap by inaugurating the flyover in Patiala recently. This was a long standing demand of the people. The flyover has eased the traffic flow in and around the railway level crossing.

In the recent past, the Chief Minister’s directives on giving a new look to the gardens and widening of all roads in New Patiala outside the walled city have been implemented.

PUNEET MEHTA, Patiala

Metro rail

As the population is on the rise, in the coming days the pressure on our existing transport system is bound to increase. New Delhi has successfully adopted the Metro rail with Japanese help. This will reduce the load on other transport systems.

We should emulate Metro rail in other cities. Confining this only to New Delhi will not yield any result because faster transport is the first condition of a nation’s growth.

PREETINDER SINGH, Patiala

Zafarnama

Sometime back, I read in an article that in the Zafarnama, an epistle from Shri Guru Gobind Singh to Aurangzeb, he penned the stanza, Zi kohi Deccan tish na kaam amdi ze Mewar ham talkhi jam andi (You were unsuccessful in the Deccan and in Mewar too you had to drink the cup of defeat).

Whether the said epistle was actually despatched by him, or it reached Aurangzeb, is questionable. Would some historian, with knowledge of Persian, vouchsafe its authenticity and enlighten about the inclusion of the same, in the original Zafarnama?

V.I.K. SHARMA, Jalandhar City

Nip it in the bud Slum dwellers, in cities like Chandigarh and Delhi, first construct temporary jhuggis and name them after Rajiv Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and so on. The politicians know the truth, but lay foundation stones and attend functions there with an eye on the vote bank. Slum dwellers feel secure under the shelter of politicians who provide them ration cards, water and electricity meters, mostly in an illegal way. However, soon these jhuggis mushroom in leaps and bounds. During elections, the politicians use them for votes. Whenever there is any demolition threat from the authorities, the politicians try to save them just for the sake of votes and plead their case for rehabilitation. The government should identify the encroachments in the beginning itself and nip the evil in the bud. S.K. KHOSLA, Chandigarh

Labour unrest

I read the Ludhiana report “Labour unrest hits production” (April 22). The reality is that the employers of cycle industries there have not been providing even appointment letters to the employees. Minimum wages are also not paid in accordance with the skill of the workers. Workers are subjected to ruthless exploitation.

The Left unions have not become active after the formation of the UPA government as stated. The UPA government was formed in May 2005 while the CITU-affiliated unions were formed in January 2004.

RAGHUNATH SINGH, Gen Secy, Punjab CITU,  Chandigarh