M A I L B A G

Tackling the problem of blindness

The report about total lack of authorised eye hospitals in Punjab to deal with corneal transplant exposes the apathy and callousness of the authorities (June 27). That guidelines regarding authorised hospitals to deal with corneal transplantation work are not being implemented is sickening. Only Goa, Himachal and Maharashtra have requested the Centre to regulate the human organ transplantation.

Under the Human Organ Transplantation Act, no hospital, unless registered under this Act, shall conduct or associate with, or help in the removal, storage or transplantation of any human organ. This Act is another fine example of the thoughtlessness of the powers that be in mitigating the sufferings of those in need of succour.

India shoulders the largest burden of global blindness. While 50 per cent of childhood blindness is preventable or treatable, progress in eye donation is stymied by a lack of clear-cut state policy.

As 1.1 million people suffer from corneal blindness in India, mostly young adults, we must produce 4 lakh healthy corneas at present. Only 15,000 eyes are being procured every year on an average whereas 7,000 are being grafted. This backlog can be cleared by making good eye banking service available with excellent publicity for eye donation, proper facilities for tissue procurement and improved storage.

Dr AMRIT SETHI, President, Punjab Ophthalmological Society, Bathinda

UPA record

The UPA government has completed three years in office at the Centre. The Union Budget is pro-poor. Higher allocation of funds to education, health, agriculture, defence and rural development is welcome. The railways have also recorded success. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is a feather in the government’s cap.

However, rising inflation has hit the common man. Corruption has also increased. There is acute power shortage and rural development is worst hit due to the poor implementation of social welfare plans.

The government has been in the dock when questions on internal security arise. The Naxalite menace has not been tackled. The Prime Minister has to strongly counter the charge that he is not a weak PM.

NIKHIL BHARDWAJ, Shahkot (Jalandhar)

Lessons to learn

Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s insensitivity to the plight of the unorganised sector, which outnumbers government employees, who always have been perceived to be the vote bank, is the cause of the general resentment against the ruling Congress in the state. Its defeat in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha by-election is only the beginning.

The unorganised worker is paid Rs 75 per day which is half of what is paid in Maharashtra and 70 per cent in Delhi. There is need to raise the wages in the unorganised sector to Delhi’s level. If the industrialists who shifted from Delhi and Gujarat could pay higher wages in their states, why can’t they do so here, getting fiscal benefits to the tune of crores of rupees?

Unemployment allowance is also a must. If government employees, most of whom don’t attend offices, can draw fat salary, why can’t a jobless educated youth be paid Rs 1,000 a month?

BHARTENDU SOOD, Chandigarh

Proxy farming

It is good that the controversy on proxy farming has begun at last. However, Bollywood actors alone are not the culprits. Most politicians and top bureaucrats too are proxy farmers; they do this only to turn their black money into white by showing it as farm earnings which are income-tax free.

Tax this income, which no government has ever dared to touch the issue, and, then, see how many of these proxy farmers remain in the field. It is exactly like all the major sports clubs in the country that are given, bar licences. Cancel these bar licences of all sports clubs immediately and see how the number of false sports lovers will collapse like a pack of cards. But then, who will bell the cat?

BALVINDER, Chandigarh ANIKET SINGH,  Ambala Cantonment

Fractured politics

The Oped Page cartoon (June 6) is a sad reflection of the system. One wonders how long the powers that be will keep on abusing the system purely for partisan ends.

The Indian polity should look beyond and turn to real statesmanship and stop playing fractured politics. It seems both the major political parties are suffering from the majority syndrome. They seem unable to shed their old game of chimerical politics though many a time subtleties of their political moves have struck right on their faces.

Lt-Col CHANAN SINGH DHILLON (retd), Ludhiana

Save the world

In the background of increasing environmental degradation and ecological imbalance, the G-8 has taken a positive step by giving top priority to this menace. Though it constitutes 65 per cent of the world economy, countries like the US are number one producers of hazardous gases.

The use of bio fuels will not only help maintain ecological balance but act as partners for food security. Bio-fuels should be used mostly by developed countries. We must use resources in a manner that our needs, present and future, are fulfilled. Let’s prepare for a better tomorrow.