M A I L B A G

Relief for farmers, employees

Politics thrives at the expense of economics. Yet, the Union Budget for 20-08-9 has provided the much-needed relief to farmers and the salaried class. While the former were reeling under huge indebtedness, the latter were hard hit by inflation, which, together with high income-tax rates, nullified increase in their emoluments.

However, the real relief to the farmers can be assessed only when the scheme is implemented on the ground. The most disquieting feature of the budget is the total neglect of the manufacturing sector, the real growth driver of the economy.

R. C. CHAND, Jalandhar

II

The UPA’s last budget presented by Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is welcome. The relaxation in income-tax for employees is most welcome because the Sixth Pay Commission report is expected in a few months. This will increase the pay slab of various categories.

Dr RANJAN MALHOTRA, Palampur

III

In 1999, the BJP had garnered the employees’ votes by assuring them that their income-tax exempt limit would be raised to Rs 1 Lakh. But once in power, the BJP conveniently ditched them. It goes to the credit of the UPA government that it first raised the limit to Rs 1 lakh after it came to power, then to Rs 1,10,000 and now to Rs 1, 50,000.

Overall, the budget is balanced and rational. Election or populist, the budget is a dream come true for all sections.

TARSEM S. BUMRAH, Batala

Justice Khanna

The editorial “The judge who stood up” (Feb 28) is educative, informative and emulative. People still remember how during the hearing of the Habeas Corpus case (1975), Justice H.R. Khanna boldly ruled that detention without recourse to trial is bad in law and hence unsustainable. The New York Times had aptly suggested that a monument of Justice Khanna should be erected for his courageous stand.

RIKHI DASS THAKUR, Palbhu (Hamirpur)

II

I mourn the demise of Justice H.R. Khanna. He will forever be remembered as a judge who refused to compromise with his principles and conscience. He was a noble and considerate human being as well as a champion of individual liberty and human rights. He resigned the moment he was superseded by the government arbitrarily. In fact, it was Justice Khanna who upheld the liberty of a person and did not allow the executive to abridge the individual’s rights as guaranteed under the Constitution.

K.L. SEHGAL, Advocate, Ambala Cantonment

III

With the death of Justice H.R. Khanna, the country has lost an eminent judge who withstood all political pressure and upheld the rule of law for protecting the democracy. He refused to budge in the temple of justice.

Even if a monument in his honour will be in order, I doubt whether it would be at all materialise as the political culture of the present leadership remains the same as it was during the Emergency (1975-77).

MULTAN SINGH PARIHAR, Jalari (Hamirpur)

IV

No doubt, Justice Khanna was a judge par excellence. Judges can’t be wooden and to err is human. But the problem arises when the error is by design and not by default. That harms society considerably. It is rightly said that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Justice Khanna stood for justice for all and history would remember him as Justice ‘Highly Respected Khanna’.

K.J.S. AHLUWALIA, Amritsar

Recruitment of civil judges A selection committee of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which recruited candidates to the HCS (Judicial) late last year had filled the anticipated vacancies of Civil Judges in addition to the actual vacant posts in the cadre. Though the advertisement had cited the Supreme Court ruling in Malik Mazhar Sultan vs UPSC (2006) in this regard, the court had not directed to fill the anticipated posts in advance. However, the ruling in Hoshiar Singh vs Haryana (1993) still holds good wherein the apex court has deprecated the practice of filling additional posts in excess of the actual existing vacancies as it deprives the candidates, who were not eligible at the time of original advertisement but have acquired eligibility subsequently, of the opportunity to compete for public employment against such additional posts which were not existing at the time of advertisement. In many cases, the court ruled that the vacancies available in any particular service till the date of interview at least should be filled in from the very same examination. The Haryana government ought to remove this discrepancy. HEMANT KUMAR, Advocate, Ambala City

Boost to Malwa

I read the front-page news-item, “Malwa life runs today” (Feb 23). It is good that water has been released in the reconstructed first Patiala feeder, known as the lifeline of Malwa’s agrarian economy. It will particularly serve the farmers of Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa districts of Punjab.

The canal has been strengthened at a huge cost by the Parkash Singh Badal government. Credit should also go to The Tribune which has been highlighting the pathetic condition of the farmers of this region for quite some time.

Prof P. K. GUPTA, Bathinda