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L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R

Conflict between executive and judiciary

Apropos the editorial ‘Executive asserts itself' (August 24), the Union Cabinet has presented two Bills in Parliament. The first one is to nullify the Supreme Court's verdict relating to the disqualification of convicted MLAs and MPs by amending the Representation of the People’s Act. The second one relates to the constitution of the Judicial Appointment Commission for the selection of Supreme Court and High Court judges. The government does not want to cleanse the politics of criminals. Political parties presume that rival elements would file false cases.

As for the Judicial Commission, the process of selection will tilt towards the government as the PM, the Law Secretary, SC judges and two eminent nominated persons will be its members.

The government also proposes to amend the RTI Act to keep political parties out of its purview, ignoring the fact that as parties are funded by the government, it makes them a public entity. This conflict between the government, the judiciary and others has to be resolved till a logical end is achieved.

RIKHI DAS THAKUR, Hamirpur

The RTI Act

Various political parties have wasted no time in coming together to decide unanimously that they are not the public authority under the ambit of the RTI Act. They call themselves voluntary organisations ("Swaiy Ishhak Sansthan") to frustrate the efforts of the Central Information Commission (CIC). I would like to ask: Can the president of a voluntary organisation appoint a Prime Minister/ Chief Minister, who is, however, later elected by MPs/MLAs and rubber-stamped by another public authority?

COL BS BHULLAR (RETD), Amritsar

Revive HMT

Employees of the Tractor and Machine Tools units of HMT, Pinjore, have not been paid their salaries since March, 2013. HMT, Pinjore, has these two units under one common roof. Sadly, the pay scales of the employees have not been revised since 1992, which means the GM of the unit gets a salary equal to that of a Central/state government clerk.

Moreover, inflation has touched the sky while their salaries have remained unchanged. One can well understand the plight of the employees. They are unable to afford their household expenditure, school/college fees of their wards, medical expenses, etc. Even some of the employees are unable to get their wards married because of the non-disbursement of salaries in time. Why does not the government try to revive both units? Or, the employees can be merged into those Central/state/UT departments which face staff shortage.

TOLA RAM, Pinjore

Rainwater harvesting

Today, the depleting water table has become a cause for concern. In such circumstances, rainwater harvesting is the need of the hour. It is the only way to check the continuous fall in water table. So, we should install the underground water recharge system in all universities, colleges, schools, banks, government buildings, sports stadiums and empty grounds and many other places. Moreover, the government, NGOs and various other societies should come forward and install underground water recharge systems at their nearby places.

RAJ KUMAR KAPOOR, Ropar

In neglect

Yamunanagar district has been denied its share of development in roads, sewerage, sanitation, health and new projects during the past nine years of the Hooda regime. One of the major reasons is the differences between Kumari Selja and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. In other words, the district is deliberately being ignored by the Hooda government. I ask all the legislators, who supported Hooda, why have they failed to provide all-round development to this district?

Road infrastructure is abysmal in and around the district. The 65-70 km Ambala Cantt-Kalanour (Haryana-UP border) stretch is pathetic. This nine-year-long neglect of the district could cost the state Congress dear in the 2014 elections.

YASH VARDHAN, Yamunanagar

Amend the Juvenile Act
The sentence of just three years in a reform house to the Delhi gang-rape juvenile offender shows that the Indian government and the judiciary have a soft corner for these juveniles. Clearly, it has emboldened other minors to commit the heinous crime in broad daylight. The recent gang rape of the Mumbai photojournalist is the result of these soft juvenile laws.

If our laws would have been harsh for these juveniles and other rapists, we would not have had to face a wave of rape crimes. Unless and until the Juvenile Justice Act is amended, the incidents of rape and murder of innocent girls will continue to happen. What is the government doing in this regard? Is it waiting for more rapes and murders to happen?
DR BINDIYA GOYAL, Ludhiana