Build border infra

Refer to ‘Border infrastructure’; many villages located in remote, inaccessible and isolated areas remained devoid of basic facilities, especially those near the LAC. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana was started in 2000, but still the targets have not been achieved even after two decades. Observing the massive progress of various provisions in Chinese villages along the LAC, we have awakened to this aspect. It is never too late. It is the primary responsibility of the government to provide healthcare, education, essential services, connectivity, security to all locations, including villages in extreme harsh areas. It is hoped that the Vibrant Villages Programme will take off on priority, keeping in view its strategic importance. Gaps on the LAC should be plugged to prevent intrusion by China. Troops may be shifted from districts where Naxal activities have been brought under control by the state.

SUBHASH VAID, NEW DELHI

Jakhar fits the bill

Reference to Jakhar’s claim; if the Congress is really secular, as it professes to be, the party should make Sunil Jakhar the chief-ministerial candidate of Punjab. Jakhar is a non-controversial, respectable person and completed the term of president of the Punjab Congress with dignity. Political parties pretend to be secular, but they function on the basis of religion, caste and creed. The Congress wants Hindu votes, but cannot make a Hindu CM? Is he not a Punjabi? By doing so, the Congress has already thrown the Hindu vote in the lap of the ‘communal’ BJP in rest of the country. Unfortunately in India, whether it is politics, government service or social circle, merit has lost its relevance. Other considerations outweigh it.

Gurdev Singh, Mohali

Congress CM face

It is the indecisiveness of the top Congress leadership that has put the party in a Catch-22 situation in declaring CM face for the upcoming Punjab elections. The party is reaching out to workers (voters) through mass telly calls and IVR system in its blind race for projecting the chief-ministerial face. It is the sign of a weak leadership that kept the main contenders on tenterhooks till the end, leading to rebellion in the party’s state unit. The issue of CM candidate should be left to elected MLAs rather than on undemocratic electronic surveys.

Vikram vinayak, Amritsar

Dubious credentials

Apropos of the number of candidates with criminal antecedents in the first phase of the UP Assembly elections, it is indeed a matter of serious concern that almost all political parties have fielded about 25% of candidates with criminal records. This is despite the directions of the Supreme Court relating to the fielding of candidates for elections. With the parties choosing the candidates on the sole criterion of their ability to win elections, these directions are flouted by them with impunity, resulting in the entry of undesirable elements in Parliament and state Assemblies that has serious consequences for democracy. Money power plays a big role in the electoral process, as is evident from the assets declared by the candidates. A lot has been done to bring in electoral reforms, but we have a long way to go. The parties must ensure that only people with clean records make their way to the legislatures to strengthen democratic values.

Dinesh Kumar Verma, Panchkula

Cut in rural job scheme

Refer to ‘Despite rise in unemployment, 25% cut in rural job scheme allocation’; while increasing the funds for rural development, there has been a drastic cut in the allocation of MGNREGA, considered to be the main repository of employment generation for the rural poor. The government is aware of the fact that the country is passing through the worst situation of job crisis and still axed the allocation, instead of providing substantial funds for the smooth running of the scheme. It escaped the attention of the FM that crores of rupees are outstanding for the previous years on account of wage payments across the country. If MGNREGA scheme has proved successful in generating employment, why not orchestrate a scheme for the urban poor akin to it? Implementing such a scheme in urban areas will help generate employment.

Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar

Tax burden for some

Only 3.5 crore Indians are paying income tax, out of a 140 crore population. Most of them belong to the salaried class. The person who is paying 30% tax and an average 15% GST on goods and services ends up paying 45% as tax. On the other hand, people not paying tax end up paying only 15% tax. The FM should have taken note of this anomaly. How can a person be charged tax on his income and also on things he buys to survive? Corporate houses hire CAs so they end up paying no tax. There is a need to fix certain amount of tax on the gross turnover based on business type to broaden the taxpayers’ base. The Budget must look into the needs of the poor and the middle class, too.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Minhas (retd), Mohali

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