M A I L B A G

Punjab’s finances precarious

In the editorial, “Bankruptcy of the state” three months ago, The Tribune had rightly predicted the financial position of the state government. The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently directed the government to apprise the financial health by December 11.

The Akali -BJP government had come to power in February this year. The financial position is not good. The government had closed the state treasuries to stop payments for General Provident Fund, medical and many other items due to fund crunch in July. According to the media reports, payment for bills of big amounts have also not been cleared. After assuming charge, the state government has increased the electricity tariff, collector’s rate of land many times and other necessities. Now the position is different. For the first time, the Small Savings department has stopped to provide coupons on all savings on investments by the public for purposes of income-tax rebate.

KARAN, Chandigarh

II

It is common knowledge that the subsidy on power to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore in Punjab is a huge burden on the state exchequer. Mr Manpreet Singh Badal is Punjab’s first finance minister who dared to take harsh measures to usher in economic reforms in the state.

It is time the people of Punjab stand by the state finance minister and provide full support to him in his endeavours. We should tell him that the people of Punjab appreciate his sense of responsibility as an educated young politician. We need politicians like him to achieve Vision India 2020 as visualised by former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Dr VINOD KUMAR, Chandigarh

Exam for civil judges A select committee of the Punjab and Haryana High Court conducted the preliminary examination for short-listing candidates for the Main examination of the Haryana Civil Service (Judicial Branch). There is no provision for holding a preliminary exam for selection of civil judges in Haryana. The select committee introduced this for reasons best known to it. Further, no reasonable or convincible formula was prescribed for selection to the Main examination because it was only specified that candidates up to 10 times of vacancies would be called for the Main exam. It was not clear whether these would be called from the combined list of the result of Preliminary exam or 10 times from each category of candidates. There is no relaxation for any category in the judicial exams in Haryana. As even no qualifying marks for the preliminary examination were prescribed, it made the entire exercise ambiguous. Dr SHRUTI CHAUDHARY, New Delhi

Population explosion

The editorial, “Fighting poverty” (Oct 16) rightly cautioned the government that the gains of economic boom are meaningless till the benefits reach the poverty stricken grassroot level.

There is, however, another aspect of the issue. Poverty cannot be eradicated till effective brakes are put on the population, which is growing at a frightening pace. Unfortunately, the population growth is almost negligible in sections of society which are contributing to the economic growth. On the other hand, the sections whose contribution is comparatively almost nil in the growth of economy and who cannot ensure even two square meals a day for themselves are producing babies at a dreadful rate.

We can neither eradicate poverty nor hope to become a super power till we check the population explosion in the so-called downtrodden section of society.

A.K. SHARMA, Chandigarh

Candid opinion

J. Sri Raman’s article, “Disturbing statements: Myanmar and bandh raise questions” (Oct 24) is candid. It perturbs the vast majority of Indians who have abiding faith in democratic norms.

But right from the acceptance of the country’s un-natural division, the powers that be have not been able to shed the majority syndrome. Consider how the genocide in Gujarat was carried out. The police aided and abetted in almost all the ghastly incidents in the state.

As regards Army Chief General Kapoor’s statement, he has spoken from his heart like a soldier. In this case, we should not forget that the government takes the ultimate decision on the foreign policy. We must do our best to build a real secular and democratic structure for the survival of the system and the polity.

Lt-Col CHANAN SINGH DHILLON (retd), Ludhiana

Judicial aberrations

Vishwamitra’s letter (Sept 22) illustrates how the judges detest and resist judicial reforms even though conscientiously introduced by their own seniors.

There is no difference between any public servant entrusted with public dealing and a judge. If the former can be criticised for doing injustice to the people, why can’t the latter be?

Judges should know better what is justice and what is injustice. In any case, they don’t the need the contempt of danda to stifle criticism of injustice perpetrated by them.

ASHWANI KUMAR, Karnal