To comment adversely on the quality supply of electricity and water as farm inputs amounts to gross ignorance of the ground realities. The supply of water for irrigation and electricity to the rural sector has vastly improved in the last four years. It was due to Mr Badal's initiatives that farmers got their due while selling both wheat and paddy.

Mr Badal was instrumental in setting up Adarsh schools in the rural areas during his previous tenure as Chief Minister and he has striven hard to bring all schools to the level of Adarsh schools.

The demonstration projects at Kal Jharani in Bathinda and Padhri Kalan in Amritsar district are meant to uplift the rural people by creating employment opportunities. The writer has not given any figure or cited any cases to prove his allegation about the indifferent attitude of the state government regarding increased use of narcotics or nexus between the police and the political set-up in drug-peddling.

The state government has taken a major initiative for pushing disinvestment in the public sector undertakings by establishing a 
Disinvestment Board. Regarding the grant of permission to the CBI to prosecute the state Home Secretary, the Chief Minister has often stated that appropriate action would be taken on merit of the case on receipt of a request from the CBI.

As for as the case relating to "fake arms licences" in Ferozepur district is concerned, the Chief Minister has ordered a scrutiny of the licences issued in all districts to rule out any irregularity.

A solitary instance of a difficulty in encashment of a cheque distributed at a sangat darshan cannot be cited to debunk the very concept of sangat darshan.

I regret to point out that an esteemed newspaper like The Tribune, shedding all ethics of journalism, has become a vehicle to criticise the findings of a survey got conducted by a weekly of international repute.

ZORA SINGH MANN, M.P., Ferozepur

Nirmal Sandhu writes: Without joining issue with Mr Mann, it may be mentioned that no IIIT is coming up in Mohali. He seems to be confusing it with the much-delayed Mahendra Knowledge Park.

POSITIVE IMPACT: The writer has attempted to undo the positive impact of a public opinion survey. The writer's personalised criticism emanates from his pre-conceived notions. Obviously, it's criticism for the sake of criticism which is contrary to journalistic values. A single person cannot belittle the importance of an opinion poll in favour of Mr Badal.

SECOND FATHER: The writer's arguments are not based on facts. Beant Singh as Chief Minister did stamp out terrorism in Punjab, but it was just suppression and not eradication, credit for which goes to Mr Badal. The SAD along with the BJP brought a chance of heart between the two antagonistic sections.

In reality Mr Badal has become the second father of the nation after Gandhi — the way Abraham Lincon became the second father of the USA after George Washington.

What about Partap Singh Kairon? He simply flattered Nehru and degraded Prabhod Chander, a true son of Punjab on a par with Bhagat Singh and Sukhdev.

PRAN SALHOTRA, Gurdaspur

SYCHOPHANCY: The survey is an extreme instance of sychophancy. Beant Singh was a great CM who crushed terrorism which had continued for more than a decade during which Mr Badal and the Akalis were hiding to save their skin. They had aided and abetted militancy.

Partap Singh Kairon was a far-sighted statesman, a nationalist, a true secular patriot and the ablest administrator Punjab has ever known after Independence. During his reign everything was disciplined. Bureaucracy was afraid of him and dared not overrule or twist his proposals.

On the other hand, Mr Badal cannot be reckoned a statesman. His political thinking is parochial. He is biased towards a particular Jat Sikh farmer lobby to the extent of supplying it free electricity at the cost of ruining the PSEB. He is patronising corrupt I.A.S. bureaucrats even though the CBI has been asking for the Centre's permission to prosecute them.

L. R. RAI, Lehragaga

NEPOTISM: It appears that the survey has been done by interviewing only the near and dear ones of Mr Badal.

When Punjab was burning, nobody dared come forward. Even Mr Badal was a silent spectator at that time. It was the heroic efforts of Beant Singh which curbed militancy and he even lost his own life for the cause of peace in Punjab. The seeds of peace sown by Beant Singh in the burning orchard of Punjab have been tasted and enjoyed by Mr Badal.

All classes of society — whether a farmer, a labourer, an employee or a businessman — are fed up with the present regime of nepotism. Farmers are committing suicides. Corruption is rampant. Unemployed youth are crying for jobs. Every government post and transfer is for open sale. Only the coming elections will test the genuineness of the survey.

SUKHWANT SINGH, Bathinda

BOLD PIECE: I must congratulate both the writer and The Tribune for publishing a brilliantly bold piece. For it requires a tremendous courage of conviction to place a mirror before our political bosses.