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

Time for PM to shed “helpless” image

AN excellent editorial, “Crisis of governance” (Jan 29) painted a true picture of our Prime Minister’s helplessness and failure to check corruption in his team. The integrity and image of any head of the government, how high he might be, can never cure the cancer of corruption. The Prime Minister has to be strong enough to shunt out scamsters out of his team. Dr Manmohan Singh has proved that few in the government care for his words. This is due to the reason that he has failed to act with determination to deal with the corrupt who have looted this country to the tune of billion of rupees.

The shocking claim of Attorney General G E Vahanvati during a Supreme Court hearing that the committee that finalised P J Thomas’s appointment was not aware that he had been chargesheeted for corruption in the Palmolein oil import case is enough for the Opposition to demand Prime Minister’s resignation.

As for hoisting the National Flag at Lal Chowk in Kashmir and the direction from the Centre not to allow it has further encouraged the anti-social elements who sing songs of their supporters from across the border. This is a tragedy of the UPA government that it is ignorant of the fact that the National Flag can be hoisted anywhere in the Indian territory. I do not agree with the views that erudition, sobriety and personal integrity of the Prime Minister are of the highest order. If the Prime Minister cannot control corruption in his country, his qualities do not deserve to be mentioned. The Prime Minister must remember that the nation’s interest is always higher than his/her personal interest for defending the looters and robbers.

MULTAN SINGH PARIHAR, Jalari, Hamirpur

SAHIL KOUL, Jalandhar

Judges’ dues

The reported decision of the Haryana government to grant three and six increments to those judicial officers who have LL.M and PhD degrees respectively merits review in the sense that these qualifications are merely academic in nature and have nothing to do with the discharge of judicial duties by the judges (news report, “Judges to get more”, Jan 22)”. These are not even regarded as desirable qualifications during the recruitment of judges.

The introduction of such a policy would result in a vast number of judges making a beeline for attaining such degrees through correspondence just to ensure hefty increase in their salary. Moreover, when the state government has dispensed with the policy of granting additional increments on attainment of higher qualification in respect of other state government officers/officials, then why treat judges as a special class? 

The Supreme Court in “All India Judges Association Vs Union of India” had issued a number of directions aimed at improving the service and working conditions of the lower judiciary in the country. But that judgment did not grant increments to judicial officers on account of attaining higher qualifications. Actually, what needs to be done urgently by the state government is to invest handsomely in order to improve the infrastructure and prevalent working methodology of the subordinate judiciary. The state’s progress has remained dismal in the implementation of tools of information and communication technology. Last year, the state had hiked the salary of the judicial officers by almost three times after the apex court accepted the recommendations of E Padmanabhan Committee If the state wants to grant more additional sops to competent and efficient members of the state judiciary, then the benchmark needs to be different.

HEMANT KUMAR, Ambala

Right to service

R K Luna has rightly pointed out in his article “Making civil servants deliver” (Jan 29) that no doubt India is known to have the best of laws and regulations in the world, yet these are of little help in delivering services to the people in time.

With the introduction of Right to Information Act, things have started improving. Still, we have a “government off the people, far the people, bye the people.” Almost in every public dealing office, either one should have a reference of someone known in the office or one has to resort to under the table deals to get the work done.

Simply initiating reforms on paper will not do. The introduction of UID is a right step in bringing efficiency in the system and will be helpful at all levels. However, merely fixing responsibility will not do. Action has to be initiated against the erring civil servants to bring efficiency in the system.

HARISH K. MONGA, Ferozepur

II

The article was an eye-opener. The Bihar model of governance seems to have shown a ray of hope to the common people who may now get hassle-free services. People have a rightful claim over government services. The Right to Service Act would have provision to penalise government authority concerned for delaying the delivery of services to citizens. Services like ration card, driving license, new electricity connections and registration of vehicles will be delivered within a time frame. Government employees will be accountable as well as punishable for delay in service. 

The officials at fault will have to pay penalty after the deadline is over. Besides disciplinary action will be taken against them. The Act is likely to tackle red tape in offices, bring transparency and weed out corruption to a large extent.

There are many outmoded rules and procedures that restrict civil servants from performing effectively. They spend a lot of time in maintaining and clarifying their jurisdictional rights and boundaries.

M L GARG, Chandigarh

Shocking murder

The editorial “Burnt alive! : Oil mafia bares its fangs” (Jan 28) has aptly expressed deep concern over barbaric burning alive of Additional District Collector Yashwant Sonawane by a gang of kerosene and petrol pilferers in Nasik district of Maharashtra. It was undoubtedly a heinous crime. What safety does a common man have against these all-powerful gangsters?

Does government wake up only after the incident? Is it not slackness on the part of administration? The shocking daylight murder reflects that our country has no rule of law. Nothing can happen without the connivance of officials of the government and oil companies. Keeping in view the various activities of mafia groups, only strict action will send a right signal to those who indulge in anti-national activities.

Capt. S K DATTA, Abohar

Common man’s concerns THE Tribune deserves congratulations for bringing to light real facts about growth of Punjab (editorial, “An exercise in half-truths: Needless row over Punjab growth rate”, Jan 25). It is a matter of shame that our leaders have to resort to all sorts of lies to score points over their political rivals. One wonders whom are they trying to impress by such rhetoric? The ‘aam aadmi’, whose leaders they claim to be, has no knowledge or interest in the GDP and growth data. The common man is more interested in getting his two square meals at an affordable rate and in living a simple life with the necessary infrastructure.When leaders have to resort to showing growth on papers, it is clear that the same is not visible on the ground. Let me remind my worthy leaders that “actions speak louder than words”. So for God’s sake, let there be some development on the ground so that our state can regain its status of the fastest growing state of India. TARUSHA KAUSHAL, Hoshiarpur