M A I L B A G

Centre should take steps
to check prices

The unprecedented spurt in the prices of essential commodities is shocking. Since the UPA led by the Congress has formed the government at the Centre, prices have been rising. The CPM, the UPA’s main ally, which claims to be the champion of the poor, has practically done nothing to corner the government on the price rise. The poor and the middle class are the worst sufferers. Vegetables and ration are beyond their reach. What else they should eat for survival?

Education and health services are too costly for the common man. The prices of petrol and diesel are sky-rocketing. The noose of the tax net is being tightened on every honest taxpayer. The pensioners’ life span is being shortened by curtailing the pensionary benefits, reducing the interest rates on the deposits and even taxing the interest accrued to them. This is how the Congress-led UPA government is ruling, nay, ruining the country!

KARNAIL SINGH, Sunny Enclave (Kharar)

II

The editorial “Tackle price rise” (July 7) rightly pointed out that “the present price rise is due to low procurement, crop diversion and a steep hike in the oil prices.” The Centre must remember that blaming the NDA government for the present mess won’t do. Political parties must solve the problem jointly. Protest marches and shedding crocodile tears for aam admi won’t help solve the problem.

The common man is subjected to the same rotten deal from time to time who ever is in power. The edit observes: “For the long term, there is need to build panchayat-managed foodgrain banks to meet the local needs.” I doubt whether it would help, but the government must give it a try.

BIDYUT KUMAR CHATTERJEE, Faridabad

III

The UPA government has failed to check the price rise because of its wrong policies. It seems unable to check the hoarding of food grains and essential commodities by unscrupulous traders and businessmen.

The government should immediately check hoarding by abolishing the forward trading system. The public distribution system, which has reached its low ebb, needs to be strengthened.

Food self-sufficiency and self-reliance are essential to protect India’s sovereignty. A man in the street is neither bothered about the rise and fall of inflation nor is concerned with the GDP, as even the intellectuals do not know these economics terms. But he is certainly concerned with his two square meals a day.

S.K. KHOSLA, Chandigarh

IV

The much-spoken supportive hand behind the common man seems to have been clinched into a fist. The simple demand and supply alone could not have pushed the price of ordinary dal to Rs 60-70 a kg. It is more because of the middlemen and the authorities’ lack of concern.

To check prices, I offer the following suggestions. One, rollback the prices of diesel and petrol which have fuelled the present escalation. Two, reduce the number of middlemen between the producer and the consumer so that everyone can get the benefit of fair prices. Three, have adequate buffer stock of grains managed efficiently by private entrepreneurs to avoid rotting, rodents, corruption and diversion. And finally, a strong consumer movement is the need of the hour.

Air Cmde RAGHUBIR SINGH (retd), Pune

V

The rise in the fuel prices has worsened the situation. The people are suffering as the bare necessities of the life have become costlier. The soaring prices are picking holes on each pocket and making it an uphill task for the common man to keep both ends meet. The price rise indicates fundamental flaws in the government’s policies.

Dream paper plans, piecemeal efforts and hollow declarations aren’t suffice to provide the much-needed respite to the public, until these are backed by sincere implementation of the slew of measures announced by the UPA government. Setting aside the trivialities and the festivities, the authorities concerned must take stock of the situation sincerely.

RAJESH G. BAJAJ, Ludhiana

Don’t demolish the school The 155-year-old Government Senior Secondary School, Town Hall, Amritsar, is under threat. Even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advised the Punjab government to upgrade the same, the Municipal Corporation has decided to demolish it for raising a parking complex. In 2004, the Punjab government decided to build a new school near Govt Dental College but some officers changed the site and built another school at Maqboolpura, Mall Mandi, behind Guru Ram Dass Dental College. As it is 4 km away from the city, poor students are unable to go there. Moreover, a 2-lakh volt capacity extra high tension grid pylon in this school premises is posing a big threat to 1,000 students and the staff. The PSEB has dubbed this school building as illegal. We request the Punjab Chief Minister to restrain the Education Department and the local government from shifting the Saragarhi Govt Senior Secondary School, Town Hall, Amritsar, to Mall Mandi. The school building near Town Hall should not be demolished to safeguard the interests of the students and the general public. Dr KRISHAN THAKUR, President, National Welfare Society, Mahan Singh Gate, Amritsar