The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Monday, October 8, 2001,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I L B A G

Today's political culture: reward the corrupt, punish the honest

Congratulations on taking up cudgels on behalf of an upright civil servant in the editorial "Penalised for good work" (Oct. 2). The political culture today is to reward the corrupt and punish the honest. It is perhaps no coincidence that your bold editorial representing the views of thousands of Ludhianvis appeared on Gandhi Jayanti.

The common citizen of Ludhiana will always remember with gratitude three persons: Mr I.S. Bindra, who removed encroachments from the G.T. Road and Chaura Bazar; Dr M.S. Randhawa, who provided lungs to this suffocating city in the form of the Rose Garden, and Mr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, who in his short term of three years gave the city a new look.

I only hope that with Mr Sandhu's transfer, the good work started by him does not come to an end. His projects like the "elevated G.T. Road" in the heart of the city and the City Centre in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar must be saved from collapse.

AMARJIT SINGH, Ludhiana

Badal damage: I'm really hurt how politics is taking a toll of hard-working bureaucrats in the state. The manner in which Mr Sandhu was transferred was very unceremonious. The man has done a lot for the city. He virtually changed the face of Ludhiana. He has many new projects to his credit both completed and at different stages of completion. It is only due to him that Ludhiana can boast of having swanky bus-stops.

He got the highway flyover passed by the councillors, which can ultimately change the traffic scenario in Ludhiana. He gave a flyover outside the bus stand and another one is nearing completion on the Dhuri railway crossing. It was only because of his efforts that Ludhiana seems to be a cleaner city in spite of the careless attitude of its people, presence of so many industrial houses and such huge traffic. He even smoothened the traffic by putting on those red plastic road dividers. Last but not the least, are the state of the art grabage dumps with the signboards covering them on all sides.

What is disturbing is that he was transferred for doing his duty and that too doing it too well. My views would have been same had it been a gurdwara, mosque or a church because religion has nothing to do with the business of encroachments. Mr Badal succumbed to political pressure without realising that it would send a wrong signal to the public as well as damage the morale of upright and honest officers.

The attitude of Mr Lajpat Rai was unbecoming of an MP. I fail to understand when will Indian politicians rise above petty things and parochial considerations. They should rather set an example for the masses to follow. I hope Mr Badal reads this letter and some sense prevails upon him. He has done enough damage to the state already!

HARPREET SINGH, by e-mail

PGI apathy
In spite of numerous earlier incidents, there has been no improvement in the working of the P.G.I., Chandigarh. The recent case is one of Mr Swaran Singh, an employee of the P.S.E.B. He attended office up to 5 p.m. on Sept 17, 2001. In the morning of Sept 18, he developed some pain. He was taken to a local doctor, who referred him to the P.G.I. He was not attended to there for more than an hour.
His family members took the patient to the Sector 32 hospital in the afternoon. There he was checked up and admitted as an indoor patient. But due to loss of time in-between he did not respond to the treatment and expired at 1.25 a.m. on Sept 19.
Had the P.G.I. doctors on duty provided timely care, the life of this poor fellow could have been saved. Will the present Director of the P.G.I. check up the lapse and try to improve the prevailing conditions to gain public confidence?
M.S. MAHAR, Patiala

Soldiers' grouse

Freedom fighters draw maximum facilities. Some enjoy pension from three sources — two from the Centre and one from the State to which they belong, besides free transport facility in trains and state buses.

Like the gallantry awardees, they are exempted from telephone rent.

What about defence personnel? Don't they deserve similar benefits? They enjoy free pass on annual leave and concessional travel on casual leave.

After retirement, the rail facility ceases. Even railway employees after retirement get, beside pension, free passes.

Lt Col P.S. SARANG (retd), Chandigarh

Cyber challenges

In my article, “Cyber challenges & priorities”(October 1), unfortunately, I had committed two factual mistakes. In para one, lines 13-14, “computers doubled their performance every month” should have been “computers doubled their performance every 15 months”.

In para 13, lines 11-12, “the numbers not divisible by 2” should have been “numbers not divisible, except by 1”.

My sincere apologies for the mistakes.

SATYA PRAKASH SINGH, Professor, UBS, Panjab University, Chandigarh

Unsafe driving

Driving has become very unsafe on Indian roads. The bad condition of roads alone is not to blame for accidents. Who can protect us from a drunk driver?

Certain vehicles, including two-wheelers, are used to transport goods like milk and fodder with drums and containers attached.

It is difficult to maintain the balance of a two-wheeler when its rear part is over-loaded.

Traffic control personnel should check such over-loading to save the lives of the law abiding drivers.

G.S. BAJWA, Khanna