Ex-servicemen & politicians

AS reported under the banner headline in The Tribune, “One rank, one pension for defence personnel” (April 11), Defence Minister George Fernandes said at Anandpur Sahib that one rank, one pension demand had been accepted “in principle” and its “implementation” was a matter of only a few days.

Coming as it does from the Defence Minister of a government which is clutching at every available straw for its survival, the statement should be accepted with a pinch of salt.

Having been befooled by almost all the political parties in the past, the ex-servicemen are always sceptical about the veracity of the politicians’ utterances. To quote only one example, on assuming office as Prime Minister in 1989, Mr V.P. Singh said in his TV address to the nation that his government “stood committed” to the one rank, one pension demand and that the provision for enhanced pensionary benefits was to be made in the 1990-91 Budget. The then President, R. Venkataraman, also had made a similar commitment in his TV address in December, 1989. The rest is history.

Are the ex-servicemen in for another betrayal? Only the time will tell.

PRITAM BHULLAR
Chandigarh

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Relief to offenders

As per a Tribune report (April 8), the HP Vidhan Sabha passed the other day the Punjab Excise (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 1999, reducing the penalty from Rs 25,000 to Rs 5000 for selling adulterated liquor. Well, the report comes to me as a painful surprise, to say the least.

Indisputably, liquor-adulteration is a dangerous menace, claiming several precious human lives off and on. About two years ago a major heart-rending tragedy literally shook Una district, thanks to liquor adulteration.

Under the circumstances, one expected the deadly bane to be dealt with sternly by providing for exemplary punishment to the offenders. By drastically reducing the quantum of penalty viz-a-viz the matter in question, the government virtually seems to have given an incentive to the practitioners of the obnoxious malpractice. How sad, indeed!

TARA CHAND
Ambota (Una)

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Govt accommodation

Although the Supreme Court has already given its decision in the case of out-of-turn allotment of government houses, the CBI is reopening the issue by issuing fresh notices to the allottees. The political angle is obvious: as these allotments were sanctioned by former Congress ministers (Mrs Shiela Kaul and Mr P. Thungon), the BJP government wants to see both of them behind the bars. The compelling circumstances of certain employees have, therefore, taken the backseat.

If the government is really serious, it should entrust this probe to the CBI in a different manner. It should identify the allottees (in-turn as well as out-of-turn) who are not staying themselves in government accommodation and have given their houses on rent. Income Tax Department sleuths should immediately recover tax on the black money of rental income as it’s not (or can’t be!) shown in the tax returns.

Further, the policy should get these flats immediately evicted as these allottees are not in need of government accommodation at all! In fact, if this is done properly, only genuine accommodation-seekers would apply for government houses in future and get it in a reasonable period as unscrupulous employees would get eliminated from the waiting list. Public rush to ministers for out-of-turn allotments would also be considerably reduced!

A.M. BHATNAGAR
New Delhi

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Plight of train passengers

I am a retired government officer (over 63 years of age) I, along with my son, approached the Computer Reservation Centre, Allahabad, on 01.04.99 for getting reservation for two sleepers for New Delhi for 02.04.99. They issued us reservation ticket No. 06754043, PNR No. 212-2604142, train No. 28010, for 02.04.99, for two adults and charged Rs 490 from us which we paid in cash — one confirmed with sleeper No.61 and other on the waiting list at Sr.No. 1. On enquiry before boarding the train, the computer people at Allahabad told us to board the train as there were always chances of a few non-occupied sleepers, and our number being first on the waiting list for one sleeper, we would be able to get one, as the other ticket was confirmed.

However, on boarding the train, which was late by two hours on that day, the Sleeper Ticket Examiner on duty disallowed us to occupy the second adjacent sleeper which by chance was lying unoccupied, despite our pleadings for being first on the waiting list. Instead, the Sleeper Ticket Examiner kept the non-occupied sleeper for his own personal use of taking rest and sleeping, and our pleas that these sleepers were meant for the use of passengers who had paid for these fell on deaf ears. I, despite being first on the waiting list and having paid the entire fare, had to travel the whole night, long journey standing and sitting in corners. The question arises:

(1) Can a Sleeper Ticket Examiner refuse/deny/disallow a passenger, holding valid reservation for first on the waiting list, to occupy a non-occupied vacant sleeper in the same compartment and instead keep the sleeper for his personal use?

(2) Is there any remedy available to such a passenger in the running train?

Can such a passenger expect from the railway authorities to enquire into the matter and at least refund the extra reservation charges already paid for a sleeper ticket, keeping in view the deficiency in service? They should, if they deem fit, initiate departmental action in the matter.

M.L. BANGA
Chandigarh

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Lottery scourge

Apropos of the editorial “Long overdue ban” (April 1), it is a sad commentary on our values today that our political and administrative leadership falls so easily and readily on traps which threaten the very fabric of our society. Already the nexus of certain top politicians and businessmen has been established in the reaping of the benefits from lottery deals. Two scandals caused ripples on the country’s lottery scene in 1986 when allegations of serious irregularities were made against Churhat Children’s Lottery, Madhya Pradesh, and the Indian Council of Child Welfare, Chandigarh.

The diabolical dimensions that the lottery scourge has acquired over the years cannot be overemphasised. Most of the victims of the scourge are young students or daily-wage earners. Those who win once, come in for more. Those who lose, also try their luck again and again for the elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. A whole generation has started living in a make-believe world. The number of families ruined by the lust for the unearned lucre must run into lakhs.

Nearly all right-thinking people recognise the deleterious effect of the menace. State governments admit as much but fall short of imposing a ban on pointless pleas.

It is inevitable that in these multi-crore gambling deals the powerful will continue to launder their black money in the safest possible manner. The inherent evils in the state-sponsored lotteries have surfaced in a shocking way during the past three decades. The suggestions about “stringent” control and “detailed” guidance lines from the Union government to the states operating the lotteries are fast becoming irrelevant. The nation must seriously consider how long it can afford to continue with the aberration introduced with whatever intentions.

K.M. VASHISHT
Mansa