Distressing sycophancy

It was distressing to see the picture of schoolchildren picking up trash at Punjab CPS’ feast (January 17). It speaks of the poor training of the teacher concerned who allowed the students to do this menial job at a politician’s party. Dancing attendance upon the guests at the cost of respecting the laws of the land does not speak well of a good teacher. It seems that our ministers are also unaware of child labour laws as no one objected to it. The sycophant teacher seems to have gone overboard in pleasing the politician.

In contrast is the instance of a school inspector who when given two packets of presents called a class XII boy whose name was likely to figure in the PSEB merit list and handed it over to him. He gave the second packet to the student who was likely to bring a good name to the institution and to her parents in the ensuing matricutation examination. Seeing this, a teacher with a sense of repartee talked about a similar intelligent boy of class VIII. The inspector drew some money from his pocket and handed it to the head of the institution for purchasing a dictionary and some stationery for the boy. Leaders should emulate these examples to encourage students.

Shyam Sunder Airi, Kapurthala

Update sites, please

It is rather distressful that the mobile version of Punjab Roadways online bus booking website m.punbusonline.com has not been updated in 2014. As a result, no ticket can be booked online. The scroll-down option to select the current year shows only 2012 and 2013. The neglected state of the websites of other departments too is painful for the users. The officials concerned should sort out the problem so that the commuters can avail themselves of the mobile booking facility.

Suneet Badla, Mohali

Paddy straw as feed bad

The use of paddy straw as fodder to animals as advocated in the letter “Paddy straw as fodder” (January 20) is fraught with the danger of infliction of animals with degnala disease. This disease causes swelling of extremities, tail and legs followed by necrosis and gangrene. The disease is associated with the feeding of rice straw containing multiple dark specks. Productive animals must be given fodder with caution to avoid loss of milk yield, health and efficiency.

Dr Soshil Rattan, Amritsar

HMT staff await pay

Employees and casual contract labour of HMT Machine Tools Ltd, Pinjore, have not been getting their salaries since May, 2013. The Officers’ Association as well as the Workers’ Union of HMT have brought the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned many times, but to no avail.

The employees are unable to run their households in the absence of salaries and are going through a very difficult phase of their lives.

Tola Ram, Pinjore