HARISH K. MONGA, Ferozepur

II

It was disheartening to hear about the tragedy in which seven members of a marriage party were killed on the unmanned Dhuri-Sangrur crossing. An entire family was wiped out due to negligent driving. People never bother to wait at a level crossing. Erecting speed breakers on both sides of the unmanned crossing track could minimise accidents. There are ‘STOP’ signboards cautioning the commuters on both sides of the crossing but nobody pays heed in a hurry.

SUNDER SINGH GIANI, Dialpura (Mohali)

Officials in seclusion

Visiting public offices in our country, where the common man has to face the the lower staff, invariably is a nightmarish experience. An ordinary citizen in treated as an intruder. The gullible commoner is at the mercy of clever and greedy clerks and Class 1V employees.

The staff working in police stations, patwarkhanas, tehsils, inspectors' offices at the Food and Supplies Department, lower judicial courts, the Electricity Department and other such government offices ill-treat a hapless citizen who comes to these offices for getting his work done. He has to face humiliation at the hands of arrogant officials who have to be bribed sometimes. This is the lowest step in the ladder of the corrupt system.

The supervisory officials invariably try to seclude themselves in the offices by shutting their doors to be away from public glare. All entries to the office are through the haughty peon. Why are we looking for an alternative remedy like the Lokpal Bill when there are many checks already in place in the form of laws? If they are implemented effectively and swiftly we can counter corruption head on.

The government needs to be cautious and must remember that a sustained and effective action against corruption should not be substituted for a witch-hunt.

TEK CHAND, Una (HP)

BCCI must pay tax The rich BCCI has not been paying income tax (‘Taxman tells BCCI to pay Rs 413 crore’, Feb 20). Cricket has become big business since the IPL started. The BCCI should not be allowed to run like the fiefdom of a few powerful persons. While poor people are dying of hunger and farmers are committing suicide, how can the BCCI shy away from paying tax? A case should be filed in the court to recover the tax. It seems there is a dirty nexus between politicians, the BCCI and the government. If the BCCI fails to pay up, the I-T Department should seal the BCCI office and the government should also ban cricket matches till the entire amount is recovered. M SARMAL, Chandigarh

Black money

It will be a monumental task for the government to get back even a small portion of the stated $ 500 billion back to India. The actual problem lies somewhere else. The government policies encourage the accumulation of black money. Speculation in real estate from time to time is due to black money in the country. If the amount of black money being generated is controlled, it will be a huge bonus for the country. A person buys a plot for Rs 10 lakh but he pays the registration fee for a lesser amount. Every individual should be allowed to invest up to Rs 50 lakh in government bonds or FDs through the Voluntary Income Disclosure Scheme. The interest generated over a long term will give the government income tax in future.

SUMEET SETH, Kaithal

Ill-effects of alcohol

Despite knowing the ill-effects of excessive alcohol, we never think of using it as a medicine. There is a well-known proverb: If wealth is gone, nothing is gone; character is gone, something is gone; health is gone, everything is gone. The OPED article ‘Time for a new approach to alcohol’ (Feb 18) is an eye-opener not to the British society alone but to the entire world.

Alcohol taken as medicine may be good for health and digestion. However, it is said, ‘the first peg is for health, second for enjoyment, third for intoxication, and by the fourth peg a person goes senseless and by fifth he goes mad’.