Safety on roads

The rate of deaths by accidents on roads in India is the highest in the world. Some 14 lakh persons die every year. The new Road Transport and Safety Act 2014 will hopefully help overcome all sorts of problems faced by road users across the country. But the enactment alone is not enough.

Driving licences should be issued only after strict driving tests. The tragedy in India is that wards of rich people get licences without any test or by throwing money on the licencing authorities’ face. Even a truck cleaner gets a driving licence by bribing the official concerned without undergoing any practical/physical test. Unless the authorities concerned change their corrupt mentality, there is not going to be any effective change in our traffic system.

RK KAPOOR, New York City

Roads in Yamunanagar

The news item “Development a casualty in this plywood hub” (August 30), correctly points out the extremely poor state of roads in Yamunanagar town. A regular visitor to that city, I am pained to see such a pathetic state of affairs. The city roads are full of potholes. There is no doubt that the state government has completely neglected this region. Work on the proposed four-laning of NH-73 from Panchkula to Yamunanagar has not commenced as the government has not arranged for statutory clearances in a time-bound manner. This led to the abandonment of work by the previous contractor of the NHAI.

VM Tandon, Panchkula

Unworthy of memorial

The Delhi Adminitration has asked Ajit Singh, son of the late Prime Minister of India Charan Singh, to vacate his official residence. But Ajit Singh has created a law and order problem by arousing his supporters into demanding a memorial for his father by citing the case of Babu Jagjivan Ram. Memorials are built for national stalwarts and not those who somehow succeed in occupying the Prime Minister’s office for a short period. Ajit Singh should not be allowed to make it a political issue.

MS Rana, Chandigarh

Tension in HP varsity

Apropos the news item “Tension in HP varsity as 4 SFI activists held” (September 19), it is unfortunate that Prof ADN Vajpayee, Vice-Chancellor of HP University, was manhandled by students. The students should not indulge in dirty politics but concentrate on studies.

BR Kaundal, Mandi

Bankers underpaid

Expectations from public sector banks are increasing. However, the pay packages, particularly at the middle management level, are grossly inadequate for the amount of mental burden they bear in their daily routine. A banker has to decide the passing of a cheque in less than five minutes which a judge in a court case takes years to decide. Almost all banks are top heavy and it needs to be lightened.

Brij B Goyal, Ludhiana

Sino-Indian power

The combined population of India and China is 35 per cent of the world’s population. The historic economic deal between India and China which is the vision of the two Heads of State should achieve the goal of overcoming poverty and alleviating the suffering of the people.

Rajesh Chadha, via email

Disadvantage athletes

Indian athletes are suffering due to the ignorance of the authorities and lack of funding. They missed their important training sessions because they could not reach South Korea in time. Despite the new rule which says that athletes arrive five days prior to the opening ceremony for training, our athletes could not reach in time for the sessions. This might affect their performance. Who is responsible for such irresponsible behaviour? The boxing team missed out important training sessions. If our athletes fail to get medals, the authorities blame them. But they never blame themselves for not providing them the basic necessities.

SHIVAM CHANANA, Ferozepur

Gender equality

It is a paradox that while we worship woman as a goddess, we prefer to have boys and consider girls to be a liability. We need to acknowledge that women are as much indispensable as men for procreation and that they have every right to enjoy the same status as men.

HEMA, Langeri

Stop child marriage

A girl’s marriage at an early age is an evil. Some poor parents consider a girl child to be a burden and marry her off at a tender age, at times to an elderly person, for money. It deprives the girl of the right to education and better future prospects. Some young girls die due to pregnancy. This practice must stop.

krishan malhotra, Ambala Cantt