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Need for electoral reforms

The editorial, “Jharkhand in a flux: President’s rule was inevitable” (June 2) was apt and insightful. Jharkhand Governor MOH Farook deserves appreciation for not allowing time for horse-trading in the state. The BJP and the JMM failed to arrive at a feasible formula of power-sharing. The Congress also did well by keeping away from the sordid drama though the JMM, headed by Shibu Soren had voted with the UPA on the floor of Parliament in the hope of getting the support of the Congress in the state.

It has rightly been observed: “Developments in the eastern state also underscore the urgent need for electoral reforms to ensure that fractured mandates do not allow political parties to hold states to ransom.” This can be achieved by introducing an amendment in the electoral rules that no candidate getting less than fifty per cent of the polled votes would be declared elected.

Further, the voters should be given the right to reject candidates if they do not measure up to their expectations. Only by this process, the political parties may be compelled to put up candidates of impeccable character and integrity.

LAJPAT RAI GARG, Panchkula

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

Poor health care

Rajeshwari has rightly observed in the article “Monitoring health: Villagers have limited access to medicare” (May 29) that despite economic prosperity and reasonably good infrastructure in the health sector in Haryana, the health services are still not within the reach of the poor and vulnerable classes.

The ongoing recruitment of doctors has failed to serve the purpose as doctors are rarely found, when needed. Instances of deaths due to negligence of doctors abound in the district hospitals in Haryana. Government hospitals have becomes places where one can only get medico legal reports in case of an accident or assault injuries.

Even the surgery package scheme launched by the government has proved to be a sham. There are complaints that doctors have been duping both the government as well as patients by charging for major surgeries and entering minor surgeries in the record. The health care system needs an overall surgery to improve the conditions.

NAZI MUNJAL, Panchkula

Feeble excuse

The middle “Regret slips” (May 31) by Rajbir Deswal was interesting. Today most of the newspapers return the write-ups with the excuse “lack of space” or “constraints on space”. The merit of writing is not commented upon. But the sensible writer understands that perhaps the article was not up to mark.

ANUP K. GAKKHAR, via e-mail

Key to success

Harish Dhillon’s middle “Decay of decency?” (June 1) was interesting. Hard working people succeed in life and really know the value of money. Our youth has to work hard if it has to achieve the desired goal.

KAMALJIT MALWA, Mansa

Drug control

In the news report “20 students fall ill after taking pills” (May 22) it has been reported that the ill-effects have been attributed to taking iron pill on an empty stomach. This is factually incorrect. Iron is ideally administered empty stomach as calcium in milk and milk products and phytates in wheat bind iron and prevent its absorption.

On the issue of the Punjab Health Department reforming its drug procurement policy, well India as a nation is in urgent need of a rational drug policy.

Dr DINESH KHOSLA, Rohtak

Visa refusal There is no doubt that to deny or give Canadian visa is the prerogative of the Canadian High Commission but it has no right to use uncomplimentary remarks (editorial, “A belated regret”, May 29). Moreover, the language used while denying the visa does not reflect the policy of the Canadian government. Canada welcomes about 1.25 lakh Indian residents on a temporary and permanent basis, including many individuals from various Indian security forces. This is not an isolated incident. More and more cases of officers being denied visas by Canada are emerging. Over the last few years, a number of senior and serving officials of the armed forces and the intelligence establishment have been denied visas on the pretext that their organisations or they themselves have served in sensitive areas like J&K and engaged in violence and human rights violations. The government must register a strong protest with the Canadian authorities so as to ensure that such instances are not repeated in future. HARISH K MONGA, Ferozepur city