Defence pensions

Apropos of ‘Defence pensioners at receiving end again’, the SPARSH pension system was introduced with much fanfare to meet the sanction and disbursement requirements for the armed forces. Disbursement till recently was being done by banks and the arrangement was working smoothly. It was more convenient to liaise with the banks for assistance than the far-off indifferent and bureaucratic PCDA. The changeover was rushed without adequate homework and feedback from the end user. The apathy of the PCDA staff and inadequacy of the wherewithal to undertake the task are evident.

GP CAPT JS BOPARAI (RETD), BHADSALI

Wheat export

Refer to ‘Ban on wheat export’; the flip-flops in government action is evident. A blanket ban is like breaking the knees of farmers and traders, from which they will find it difficult to recover — leave alone helping India’s emergence as a reliable global supplier. The government must take measures to help the middle class by amending tax rates.

SS Paul, Nadia

Science stream

The news ‘Schools sans science teachers, students opt for other streams’ took me down memory lane to the early ’70s when Giani Zail Singh was the Punjab CM. During his tenure, thousands of new posts of science and maths teacher were sanctioned and filled in government schools. He was a visionary and knew that education in general and science and technology in particular is the only means to lift the vulnerable sections out of the quagmire of poverty, and he seriously intended to do so. He offered no freebies and waivers and there were no reports of suicide from any section of society. Thousands of teachers who got jobs and lakhs of students who got quality education almost free of cost will remain indebted to his insight and honesty of purpose.

Ram Paul Chani, Ludhiana

Forest institute

Refer to the report ‘Forest research institute to be set up in state, says CM’; the announcement of the Haryana CM must be welcomed. The covered forest area in 2021 was 1,603.48 sq km, which is 3.63% of the state’s geographical area. All are aware of the adverse effects of declining forest cover. The world is facing the consequences of deforestation in the form of climate change, declining precipitation, global warning, depleting water table etc. The establishment of the institute will guide the public and the farmers to go for more plantation.

Ravish K Chauhan, Kurukshetra

A proud moment

It is a moment of immense pride for the Punjabi diaspora when a mother-daughter duo from Punjab have got an opportunity to serve in the Royal Australian Air Force. Punjabis are scaling new heights in Canada, the US and England. Now they are making their presence felt in Australia too. Kudos to the family which encourage their women to pursue their dreams. It is a lesson for those who consider daughters a burden. Manjit Kaur and her daughter Khushroop have set an example for all Punjabi women that if given a chance, they can excel even in foreign lands.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Sangrur

Eternal beauty

One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is not only a symbol of love, but also a great masterpiece of architecture. Every Indian, irrespective of caste and creed, has been basking in the glory and pride of this beautiful monument. To visit the Taj is to drench your soul in love. It is painful for an art lover to see it being despoiled with muddy politics of hate and divisive designs. Let’s hope that good sense prevails and this ‘marvel of marble’ continues to spread message of love to all.

Sadhna Saini, by mail

Politics on Taj

It is sad that in our country, politics can mar the beauty of even a monument which stands as a tribute to the splendid glory of eternal love (‘Let Taj remain eternal symbol of love’). It is important that we realise to view monuments as refined pieces of artistry and not spoil their beauty by politicising it. Right are the words of Khwaja Sajid, ‘Kal siyasat me bhi mohabbat thi, aaj mohabbat me bhi siyasat hai.’

Sumita Kanwar, Yamunanagar

AIR Jalandhar

All India Radio Jalandhar-Amritsar celebrates its birth anniversary. Broadcasting started on this day 74 years ago in East Punjab. One transmitter was sent to Amritsar. An announcer was engaged to read information about missing Hindu and Sikh refugees, who read the daily reports in Amritsar. Jalandhar and Amritsar had low-powered transmitters. The studio complex was built in Jalandhar and was formally opened in 1949. The setup in Amritsar was dismantled in 1953 and a high-powered station was built in Jalandhar.

Harjap Aujla, by mail

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