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

New measures for nuclear disarmament

Nuclear energy has brought the world together in a peculiar way. The most recent example is the February 26 talks between P5+1 countries and the Islamic republic of Iran to resolve the standoff on the controversial nuclear programme of Iran.

The matter is of as much importance for the world as it is for Iran, given the taste of the 1945 experience in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, followed by Chernobyl accident and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

More than India’s belief in Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy, what is more important is Iran’s understanding of its own position in the contemporary world ( news report ‘Iran’s Speaker coming to India: N-plan in focus’, February 25). The parameters for use of nuclear energy are and should be different as per the collective wisdom of mankind at a particular time. How a country, nation or a particular leadership tackles this ultra-sensitive issue not only shows the level of its maturity but also its attitude to international peace and development.

No doubt, nuclear armaments give a sense of security, but ‘security’ goes much beyond nuclear weapons involving a number of other factors which include the approach of international community towards any nuke country.

Under the prevalent circumstances, Iran on its part should firmly emphasise on its rights that the international community recognises and encourages at this crucial period in the contemporary world.

The international community needs to evolve some new measures to genuinely dissuade the countries from opting for nuclear armaments. For the time being it should continue with its WMD reduction programme (which seems to have slowed down) to set a trend in the right direction.

JAGVINDER SINGH BRAR, Patiala

Banks in villages

Instead of disbursing facilities in the cities which already have many banks, the government should pay more attention to rural areas having no or scant banking facility (editorial ‘The more the merrier’, February 25). New licences should be issued to set up private banks in rural areas.

This will have double benefit for the public as well for the government and the concerned bank. Public will get banking facility at their door steps and the benefits like direct subsidy amount payment will reach the beneficiaries without any trouble. The RBI has supervisory control over the entire banking sector, so it can easily check digression in the observation of rules and regulations followed by banks in providing proper services to the clients and public in large.

SURINDER KUMAR MAHNA, Karnal

Poor networking

The twin blasts in Hyderabad have shown that the intelligence input provided by the central intelligence agencies was probably treated as routine matter, instead of taking it seriously (editorial ‘Dastardly act’, February 23). The role of central intelligence agencies is confined to providing intelligence input to the concerned state. The state police authorities plan counter measures thereafter.

The Union Government should impress upon the state governments to take the inputs being provided to them by its intelligence agencies seriously for taking required counter measures to avoid any damage to life or property.

RAVINDER SINGH, Jalandhar

II

The twin blasts in Hyderabad are yet another reminder of the lost battle in the fight against terror. Before the bombing case is cracked, the country will have to pick its way through a minefield called intelligence jargon. The national air was thick with the static of crackling phrases such as ‘general alerts’, ‘specific inputs’ and ‘actionable intelligence’.

Each successive incidents triggers local outrage, the politicians come up with their platitudinous sweet-nothings, or create turmoil in Parliament, but the wider reaction of the common masses is one of hopelessness.

JS ACHARYA, Hyderabad

III

The Home Minister has commended our  intelligence agencies for having done  an admirable job in the past. If these agencies had leads in the Hyderabad blasts case, where did they fail? The blame shifts to the states — if they  were informed about  it, why did they not act on time?

We cannot blame lack of technology for the discrepancy. Advanced countries are purchasing security kits produced at DRDO to deal with such incidents. The only hiccup which  comes  to mind is inaction at the political and bureaucratic level.

YOGESH SINGH,  Rewari

Power hike unjustified The proposed hike in the electricity tariff in Chandigarh is not justified at all. The concerned authorities have suggested levying a charge of Rs 25 per KW per month of the connected load in addition to the increase in the KWH consumption charges. Only a few months back, the Electricity Department had asked the consumers to submit a detailed statement of their electric appliances with a view to assess their connected load and they were asked to pay a higher rate for each KW of their load. The monthly charges are for the energy consumed in KWH terms, whereas charges on the connected load are a one-time affair for each electricity connection. So the proposal to levy a monthly charge on the connected load must be dropped in view of the fixed load charges already having been collected. Er ML BAVEJA, Chandigarh