The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Letters to the Editor

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

Loss-making PSUs a neglected lot

There have been many long-pending demands of the loss-making public sector undertakings (PSUs) which are directly under the control of Ministry of HI & PE (Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises).

The biggest problem of the loss making PSUs is salary revision which is due from January, 1997 onwards. Denial of salary revision to employees of loss-driven PSUs (for example HMT) is not justified because the losses may be due to policies of the central government or the respective management. The budgets presented every year by central or state governments face deficit, then why are the central and state employees not denied their salary revisions? Every salary revision was given in time to these employees, while employees of loss making PSUs have been awaiting pay revision for the past 15 years.

The salary of a senior official (say a DGM with 30-35 years of service) in a loss making PSU is almost equal to that of a Class IV employee of the central government.

The second problem is industrial DA rate, which is not with 100% neutralisation. Compare the difference of DA neutralisation formula of employees working with a loss making PSU with those in a profitable PSU, both under the ministry of HI & PE and having the same qualification and experience.

The 1995 pension scheme is a slap on the faces of PSU employees in the name of social security. A senior official of a loss making PSU gets around Rs 2, 500 as monthly pension after retirement with which one can not even pay monthly bill of the milkman. What type of social security is this?

The employees of loss making PSUs have not been getting their gratuity and other post-retirement payments in time.

Tola Ram, via e-mail

Rivalry unplugged

Qualifying for the Olympics is a far cry from challenging the big daddies of world hockey. The Indian coach Nobbs responsible for the superb show by our hockey team in the qualifier final against France believes that although this victory has provided the much-needed momentum to keep it going yet a long and difficult road lies ahead for the team. Beating France is one thing but standing us to Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Spain, New Zealand and the Netherlands is entirely different (Reviving Indian hockey, March 1).

No doubt a good run at the Olympics will significantly boost hockey’s profile in India, but the ongoing rivalry between Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation must be resolved at the earliest.

DILBAG RAI, Chandigarh

III

The omission of former captain Rajpal Singh from the 48 probables selected for the London Olympics is surprising and shocking. However, if he has been dropped in the interest of hockey due to his performance, it is justified. If it has been done so due his views on account of awards and rewards to hockey team, then it is an injustice.

AS ANAND, Ludhiana

Keep politics away

The NCTC (National Counter Terrorism Centre) is in line of fire of some heads of Indian states. They feel that it impinges the federal structure of our polity and apprehend that it will function in an arbitrary manner. Law and order is a state subject, hence it requires their predominant participation even in an anti-terrorist framework.

They are absolutely right with regard to tackling law and order problems, which ranges from neighbourhood brawls to robberies, dacoities to murders. Terrorism is a different ball game altogether. It knows no boundaries. It brews up at one place and strikes at another with preparations continuing elsewhere for their next project.

Inadequate sharing of information and intelligence amongst states is a big bane and hence restrictive for putting up a cohesive fight against terrorism.

Counter terrorism and defence fall in the same realm of things when it concerns national security. 26/11 shook the nation. Were the shock waves generated during the crisis any less alarming than the ones felt during the Kargil war?

Col AVNISH SHARMA (retd), Chandigarh

The big sport
Comparisons have always been drawn between hockey and cricket. Hockey is the national sport of India but cricket has unofficially become the national game because of its popularity.
Why is the approach to the two games different? The biggest difference is the approach of the administrators towards the game. Hockey gets investors with great difficulty. The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) is the governing agency of cricket in India, whereas hockey is badly bruised due to catfights between HI (Hockey India) and FIH (Federation of Indian Hockey).
The star performer in hockey Sandeep Singh received a bike whereas same heroics in cricket would have easily fetched a luxury car and a few advertisements for a cricketer.
Hockey needs to make a move now. It needs to get up on its feet now and run. Big corporate houses need to help it stand. Sahara recently announced a tie-up with hockey. Many such efforts are required.
Jashan, via e-mail