|
|
|
|
|
Poor selection of nominees to Rajya Sabha
Since the President nominates some Rajya Sabha members on the advice of the Council of Ministers headed by the Prime Minister, the move to nominate Rekha and Sachin Tendulkar to Rajya Sabha is clearly a political one. Article 80 of the Constitution authorises the President to nominate not more than 12 Rajya Sabha members having special knowledge or practical experience in literature, art, science and social service. One fails to understand Sachin’ s nomination as the category of sports is not included in Article 80(3). Without commenting on the merits of his qualifications for nomination to the august House, it can be said that his nomination was made solely to cash on his popularity as a player. Since in the past some film personalities have been nominated, Rekha’s nomination may not be questioned on the basis of qualification. Undoubtedly, cinema is a part of performing art. Her suitability as an MP is doubtful as she neither has special knowledge nor inclination for politics. She will not be able to contribute in a worthwhile manner. It may be reminded that the framers of the Constitution had put this provision solely with the objective of securing the services of eminent persons who maintain a distance from contesting elections or have no means to do so. Dr S K
OHLAYAN, Kurukshetra
Austerity measures
Instead of blaming the euro zone crisis for the dip in Indian rupee, the finance minister should take austerity measures as soon as possible like a complete ban on foreign travel by politicians, running the economy with cost-effective approach and winding up the Planning Commission which was wrongly conceived as a non-statutory body doing more harm than good (editorial ‘A double blow’, May 17). Let user pay principle be promoted in the country with a clear no to many freebies being enjoyed by some if not many. Let the user charges for public utilities be linked with inflation rate for smooth functioning. Dr MM
GOEL, Kurukshetra
|
|
|
Lagging behind The Punjab government must check wasteful expenditure, mismanagement of resources and inefficiency at all levels (editorial “The blame game”, May 16). CAG report can help to correct the financial wrongs. Subsidies should go to the deserving or productive people. Central grants should be fully utilised with all responsibility. Tell the people the reasons for not being able to utilise last year’s annual plan of Rs 12,800. The Chief Minister should also tell why other states are ahead of Punjab in the same federal structure of India? The top bureaucracy and the rich class must adopt an austere habit. SUDESH KUMAR SHARMA, Kapurthala Storage contracts The idea of constructing silos for foodgrain storage at mass level cannot work successfully in Haryana. This is an idea picked up from the West where farmers possess thousand of acres and all work is mechanical and the variety of wheat grown is uniform. In India, farmers here have small landholdings and ‘anaj mandis’ are not compatible with the arrivals. Policy makers are perhaps unaware of an old practice of “storage delivery contracts” in Punjab. The ‘arhtiyas’ can purchase wheat either individually or on behalf of the government at fixed floor prices and store it and deliver it to the government as and when desired. Both the trader the farmer shall be happy. SURJ SHANTI, Canada Virus of corruption Both the national parties, the Congress and the BJP, seem to be sailing in the same boat (Kuldip Nayar’s article “Functioning of Congress, BJP”, May 12) However, there is a noticeable difference between the two parties. While it took a century for the Congress to be infected with the virus of corruption, the so-called “party with a difference” the BJP is stinking with corruption in a matter of years. About the bureaucracy, the less said, the better. It seems to have developed an uncanny knack of knowing which side the bread is to be buttered and acts accordingly. TARA CHAND, Ambota (Una)
|
|||
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
