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

Pension for unorganised sector a must

The workers in the unorganised sector need old age pension more than the rest of their ilk as mentioned in Justice (retd) Rajindar Sachar’s article “Pension for the elderly” (July 16). An analytical view will reveal that only those people join the unorganised sector as labourers who neither have agricultural land to support their families nor have any education, professional or otherwise, to make them eligible for employment in the organised sector. They are pawns in the hands of the labour contractor and the construction contractor.

They migrate from place to place, become such rolling stones who gather no political moss. But as the writer has said, these very workers are responsible for raising the GDP of our country’s economy. Being migratory and without any political back-up, they are highly vulnerable to exploitation. Unregistered labour contractors herd them out from their native places on paltry advance payments and dump them at construction sites. In return, such labour contractors earn a cut from their monthly wages when the same are disbursed by the construction contractor.

The third villain is the grocer who sells his grocery on very high rates on one month’s credit. He too gets paid by the construction contractor. Thus little is left with the hapless labourer for other basic needs of life. The country cannot afford to create another discontented class like the Naxals.

L R Sharma, Sundernagar

Make driving safe

To reduce serious accidents and save precious lives, the Punjab government needs to implement rules strictly. There should be regular check on speed and test for alcohol levels to curb rash and drunken driving. In the US, traffic cops do not spare drunken drivers even if he happens to be some higher-up.

The Punjab police should put young energetic Punjab police officials on the job to ensure road safety on our highways and inter-city roads. After 3 or 4 years they should be given out of turn promotion as incentive. Road construction projects should be monitored by a high level team in liaison with senior officials from other departments. The errant contractors should not only be fined, they should also be disqualified from awarding new contracts. Proper lighting of main roads would help in cutting down accidents after sunset. There should be no liquor shops on the highways or main roads.

Air Marshal AS CHAHAL (retd), New Delhi

Wake-up call

The Punjab government is now again mulling increase in retirement age from 58 to 60. If implemented, it will be another ridiculous decision of the Akali government. The Punjab government is already grappling with power woes. There is always an increase in the power tariff without a corresponding increase in power generation.

Another folly committed by the Punjab government is allowing reservations in promotions. Every year, Punjab is unable to make proper arrangements for grain storage and then blames the Centre for it.

Badal government is riding a wave of success because of the second consecutive term given to them by the voters. They have not realised that they are in power by fluke. The Congress secured the maximum vote percentage. The vote percentage got so distributed that SAD-BJP got the seats. Otherwise, by vote numbers, Congress was the winner. The Punjab government must get serious now.

RAJINDER KUMAR, Patiala

Undue harassment

The pensioners of the Bhakra Beas Management Board are required to present themselves for physical verification before the designated officers twice a year, in March and September. Their counterparts who have retired from central /state govt departments, boards, corporations, submit a life certificate only once in a year to the banks from where they draw their pensions.

Several representations have been sent to the BBMB Chairman to adopt the policy of verification of pensioners in accordance with their counterparts since BBMB pensioners are also governed by the Punjab CSR rules. Requests made so far have not been favourably considered. Why this step-motherly treatment?

SC SINGHAL, Hoshiarpur

No effect on politicos

It is a matter of regret that women leaders like President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, Lok Sabha Speaker Meera Kumar, Opposition leader Sushma Swaraj and Cong President Sonia Gandhi, leave aside the male leaders, have not uttered a single word of condemnation against the savagery and debauchery perpetrated on a hapless girl in full public view in Guwahati.

Our leaders lose no time in raising a hue and cry even over an inconsequential derogatory comment spoken against them. Their silence on this diabolical incident is not understandable. It appears that assaulting and stripping of girls do not count as crime for our political class as a whole.

SATWANT KAUR, Mahilpur

II

”Mera bharat mahan” (My India is great). Seeing the present scenario, do you think India is really great? We have a mob molesting a girl in Guwahati, a 4-yr old dying after falling into an open bore-well, a school girl is made to drink her urine for bed wetting.

What infuriates and angers a common man is the casual approach adopted by the government and the administration. Lack of strong laws and harsh punishment makes the culprits escape easily.

AKSHAY BHASIN, Amritsar