What our readers say: Pollution tests at petrol stations an eyewash

Heavy fines for pollution by vehicles push citizens to testing centres, but are these checks effective? During a recent visit, my car's exhaust wasn't even connected to the tester, yet a computer-generated report was handed over in three minutes for just ?100. Worse, some centres simply ask for a photo of one's car's rear, process the fee and send the report via WhatsApp. How does such negligence address pollution concerns? Who monitors the functioning of these facilities at petrol pumps? Shockingly, no car is ever graded as "poor" or advised to visit a garage. The system seems flawed, raising concerns about its authenticity and impact. The authorities must act to ensure genuine checks for cleaner air. —Col PS Bindra (Retd), Karnal

Reduce fee for poll nomination

A memorandum was submitted to the Chairman of the Election Committee urging a reduction in the nomination fees for the annual District Bar Association elections. The current fees are deemed excessively high, with Rs 31,000 for the president's post, Rs 21,000 for secretary and Rs 11,000 for other positions-amounts that are non-refundable. There is a need for rationalising fees enabling wider participation by advocates without financial constraints. Several senior advocates and officials were present during the submission of the memorandum. —Vinod Tanwar, Bhiwani