M A I L B A G

Raise age of retirement to 60

The Punjab government should have raised the retirement age of its employees from 58 to 60 years in February 2006 itself. The retirement age of Central Government employees is already 60 years. These days, those above 58 are quite active and they perform duties effectively.

Raising the retirement age to 60 years will fulfil the long-pending demand of the PSEB employees. If this decision is taken now, it should put the retirement of those retiring this month in abeyance so that they are also benefited. The government should reconsider payment of gratuity to its employees at the time of retirement.

MANJIT KAUR, Chandigarh

II

Raising the retirement age to 60 years cannot be justified due to the unemployment problem in Punjab. Today, a retiring employee gets about Rs 20,000 as monthly salary without having adequate work in the office. If a person’s services are required after his/her superannuation, why can’t the government engage him for Rs 5,000 a month on contract basis instead of continuing him for a salary of Rs 20, 000 a month for two more years?

Being a government employee, I would rather prefer a further reduction of the retirement age from 58 to 55 years in view of the growing unemployment problem.

INDERJEET SINGH, Chandigarh

III

Over the years, the Punjab government has been leading over other states in taking care of the welfare of the state government employees, be it in pay scales, medical allowance or annual increments. Yet, one benefit is still pending — raising the retirement age from 58 to 60 years.

Most states like Bihar, Rajasthan etc. have done it. Himachal Pradesh is also in favour of it. As no fresh recruitment in any cadre is on the cards, raising the retirement age has become imperative.

S.K. MITTAL, Beas Dam

NRI marriages

I refer to the news-item “Capt’s assurance on fake NRI marriages” (July 29). Punjab contributes a majority to the 25-million NRI population living abroad. Thus, the burnt of NRI marriages is felt most in this state.The existing family law fails to address the problem of fraudulent NRI marriages. There are neither deterrent check modes nor remedies available for deserted and duped spouses. No wonder, Punjab has over 25,000 abandoned spouses!

Punjab could make rules for compulsory registration of marriages under Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955. Thereafter, marriage certificates for NRI marriages must be compulsorily lodged in the High Commission/Embassy in India where the NRI spouse resides along with his social security number. Public awareness, media exposure and effective enforcement among priests, pandits and granthis who solemnise such marriages are all needed to educate the people. Strict penalties should entail for violation.

Secondly, family courts will help settle problems concerning NRIs. If one of the spouses is an NRI, these courts can provide for maintenance and alimony of spouses, child custody and child support as also settlement of matrimonial property. This will ensure that the spouse/children on the Indian soil are maintained in accordance with the income and standard of the NRI spouse in the foreign jurisdiction.

And thirdly, dissolution of marriage on grounds of irretrievable breakdown should be introduced when at least one of the spouses is an NRI so that such exparte divorce decrees from foreign jurisdictions can be curbed and the hapless Indian spouse can defend on convenient and equitable terms in Indian courts.

ANIL MALHOTRA, Advocate (Supreme Court), Chandigarh

Jinxed Jaijon

I refer to the news-item, “Once a major trade centre, Jaijon is jinxed today” (July 3). I had spent my childhood listening to the first-hand accounts of its glorious past. My grandfather Pandit Amba Dutt was the municipal council president when Sir Evan Jenkins, Commissioner of Jalandhar (later Governor of undivided Punjab) visited it.

Founded by Jaijjat rishi at the Shivalik foothills, Jaijon was a flourishing trade centre. It was also known as a centre for oriental studies. Noted scholars and exponents of Sanskrit, astrology, ayurveda and music visited this place for meeting music composers Pandit Husan Lal and Bhagat Ram and noted Pakistani poet Tufail Hoshiarpuri.

The late ayurveda scholar Pandit Govind Ram and the late Sanskrit laureate Acharya Vishwanath belonged to Jaijon. It is a sad reflection of the times we live in that a town which was very progressive and thrived with thousands of souls only half a century back, now looks like a desolate place.

Dr R. VATSYAYAN, Ludhiana

Litigation: Onus on officials I refer to I.J. Singh Bindra’s letter (July 27) in response to Dr A.L. Adlakha’s letter “Time to check litigation” (June 27). I wish to add that litigation is the creation of oppressive legislature, high-handedness of the bureaucracy, dictatorship of the judiciary and sensational journalism. Of all these, the litigation perpetrated by the administrative arm of the government is around 90 per cent! Therefore, this needs to be firmly curbed by inflicting heavy monetary penalty on the errant officialdom. K.C. VERMA, IAS (retd) Shimla