Top-heavy Haryana

MR D. R. Chaudhry in his article “Top-Heavy Haryana” (November 21) has rightly maintained that mindless proliferation of top brass is wreaking havoc on Haryana’s economy. Analysis of the phenomenal proliferation of top brass in Haryana in comparison to other states is quite instructive. The revealing fact is that there is a 6.5 fold increase in the strength of gazetted employees — Class I and Class II vis-a-vis a three times increase in the strength of Class III and Class IV employees since 1967. Given the proclamation that the government spends 51.6% on the salary bill, the blame should be apportioned proportionately. But Class III and Class IV employees always remain the target of attack, obviously a calculated design of the government when employees agitate for their demands.

With a view to deflecting the attention of the general public from its failures, propaganda blitz is unleashed against the employees of Class III and Class IV. Efforts are made to drive a wedge between employees and the public by inciting the public openly against the employees, branding them (employees) to be the roots cause of all ills bedevelling the state economy.

The claim by the government that the agitation by employees for their demands is unwarranted as all their demands, including pay scales on the central pattern, have been accepted is all a hoax. To cap it all, the voice of protest is gagged by draconian means, reminding one of the dark days of emergency.

MOHAN LAL BHARDWAJ
Yamunanagar

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Right decision

Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta, a former President of the Indian Youth Congress, while talking to mediapersons at Kaithal the other day, regretted that the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, had not visited the persons injured in a bomb blast at Kaithal recently (The Tribune, November 19).

Well, I feel that the Chief Minister did the right thing. Afterall, what would he have done except diverting the attention of the medical and para-medical staff who were treating the injured persons? Moreover, the police force would have been busy providing security cover to the VIP rather than making efforts to trace the persons responsible for the blast. Officers of various government departments in the district, too, would have queued up to welcome the Chief Minister rather than do their office work.

The VIPs can definitely serve the people better by keeping themselves away from the sites of such tragedies rather than by being present there.

SURENDRA MIGLANI
Kaithal

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DAP shortage

DAP is the main fertiliser which is used at the time of sowing of wheat, sugar-cane, sarson, paddy and other food crops at the rate of one bag (50 kg) per acre which results in an increase of at least 20% production.

The same is not available in Northern India. Majority of the people have delayed their sowing or have done sowing without DAP. In both cases, we will be having at least 25% less production of wheat, sugarcane and sarson. Nobody is worried about this shortfall.

SHIKHAR CHAND JAIN
New Delhi

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Welcome inclusion

I would like to thank the National Selection Committee and the BCCI for including dashing opening batsman Navjot Singh Sidhu in the forthcoming tour to New Zealand. The inclusion of young Harbhajan Singh is also a welcome step. It may be noted that during the Test series against Australia he scored 341 runs at an average of 68.20. His performance was next only to wonder boy Tendulkar. During that period according to Wisden rating he was No. 2 batsman in the world. His average at that time on the basis of 14 Tests was 56.72. His average in one-day internationals is almost similar to Azharuddin and he can be very useful in the ensuing World Cup if given continuous exposure and confidence in one day internationals.

PRITPAL SINGH
Patiala

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Garden path

Our local MP seems to be in the habit of making promises he does not or cannot keep. This is with reference to the promise of park development made to the residents of Sector 44. Chandigarh Calling had brought this to everybody’s notice a few weeks ago.

A similar promise was made by Mr Satya Pal Jain to the residents of Sector 15-D and 15-C (which incidentally, has his residence too) vis-a-vis a park adjacent to the Sector 15 gurdwara. He told the residents that he had allocated Rs 3 lakh from the MP Area Development Scheme for the development of the park in early 1997. We were hopeful as Mr Pawan Kumar Bansal had helped the Sector 15-A and 15-B Residents Association in a similar manner. They now have a beautiful park in place of an open-air garbage patch-cum-lavatory-cum-pigsty-cum-cowshed-cum-traffic shortcut. But, alas! We were not as lucky.

The engineering wing of the CMC has been repeatedly approached but nobody responds. One must mention here that Mr Prem Sagar Jain, Senior Deputy Mayor, lives in Sector 15-D and this development was an election promise of his as well! As per Mr Satya Pal Jain, he “cannot help us as these things take time quote-unquote!

M.L. GUPTA
General Secretary,
Peoples Welfare Association, 15-D,
Chandigarh

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Tailpiece

Shiv Batalvi: Mainu tera shabab lai baitha.
The BJP: Sanu taan pyaz lai baitha.

MANISH AIREE
Hoshiarpur