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

Senior citizens deserve tax relief

In the budget proposals for the financial year 2012-13, marginal tax relief has been given to the common man. It is virtually no relief as it hardly covers the rising cost of living. The senior citizens, like in the previous budget, have not been given any reprieve. This class mainly subsists on the interest from their savings and deserves tax relief the most. The exemption limit should be at least Rs 3 lakh for them.

Small cars these days are no more luxuries, but necessities. Small petrol cars cause less pollution as compared to diesel-run cars and SUVs.   Excise duty on 1200cc petrol cars and below should be further reduced to save the environment.

Er S S  BHATHAL, Ludhiana

II

The paltry income tax relief to the tune of Rs 20,000 (raising limit from Rs 1,80,000 to 2,00,000 lakh ) to tax payers, especially government employees, will make up for the customary six monthly increase in DA as well as one annual increment. They will be shelling out more money as tax in this manner. Besides, there has also been a direct attack on the livelihood of working people. The Employee Provident Fund interest rate has been reduced from 9.5 to 8.25 per cent.  For crores of employees, this fund is their only economic security option to fallback on.

SK KHOSLA, Chandigarh

O P GARG, Patiala

Mind your language

Instead of terming Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal’s remarks as derogatory, politicians like Sajjan Kumar Verma should indulge in introspection to know where they stand (news report “Cong MP serves privilege notice against Kejriwal”, March 18).

He should rather take initiatives to cleanse his party of politicians with criminal background. Many candidates from various political parties with cases pending against them contested the recent Assembly elections. A remark can be called ‘derogatory’ only when the allegation is absolutely disgraceful. The word ‘derogatory’ should rather apply on the politician’s disrespectful remark leveled intentionally against Kejriwal who has dared to challenge the system.

Dr HARJEEV K. KHANNA, Bathinda

Child needs respect

It is a matter of great pity that as per NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights), 46 per cent of schools in rural India lack toilet facilities and 17 per cent lack water supply. For this very reason, girls and women teachers avoid attending such schools.

Despite the Supreme Court’s order in 2000 banning corporal punishment in schools and the RTE Act which asks teachers to spare the rod, it is shocking that school teachers are not adhering to the SC order.

Teachers must keep in mind that punishment to students does not mend the behaviour of students, rather it spoils them and hardens their rebellious nature. Better sense should prevail on teachers who believe in beating students.

SUBHASH C. TANEJA, Rohtak

II

Corporal punishment bruises a child’s psyche (“Corporal punishment”, March 8). The child needs respect and should not be subjected to any physical abuse. The teenaged students know fully well that they cannot be detained upto class X under RTE and CCE, so they care two hoots to the teachers and learning process.

The lack of moral values, which are primarily inculcated at home, has further aggravated the problem. These days, children learn immoral values from TV and other modes of entertainment giving a go-by to teachers, schools and parents. We must create a positive atmosphere at school and home for them to flourish.

TARSEM S BUMRAH, Batala

Flamboyant power display  Post-elections, the swearing-in ritual is mandatory prior to the new regime taking up the reins of governance. Elected representatives are neither emperors nor monarchs. Such functions should be held in a modest manner especially in a state like Punjab which is under debt, where employees are waiting for salaries, Pay Commission arrears are being paid in installments and DA installments are already late. The oath-taking ceremony of the SAD-BJP govt did not warrant extravaganza. In the past too, similar ostentatious display of wealth was held at Amritsar when Sukhbir Badal took over as Deputy CM. Victory warrants humility, not flamboyance. In a democracy, such official functions are meant to be held at Raj Bhavan or the Vidhan Sabha. It adds to the sanctity of the occasion. The cash-strapped state could save crores of rupees needed for assorted expenditure. Lt -Col BACHITTAR SINGH (retd), Mohali