No end to corruption

Day in and day out, we read about and see corruption all around — in the departments of police, excise and taxation, food and civil supplies, revenue and what not! Still, the Punjab Government claims that the state is now corruption-free! How ridiculous is this? More so when the AAP supremo went on announcing with pride that the Punjab Chief Minister had performed the miracle of eradicating corruption in just one month. An inference can easily be drawn from the daily news how rampant corruption is in the state. Mere declarations will not serve any purpose. Concrete steps should be taken if the government wishes to rid Punjab of this menace.

Sat Pal Sharma, Bathinda

Medical reimbursement

The decision of the Punjab Government to resort to the old practice of giving medical reimbursement to its ministers and MLAs at the prescribed government rates is commendable. ln the past, former CMs, ministers and MLAs have been claiming medical reimbursement against bills involving huge amounts of money which burdened the state exchequer as well as taxpayers. But even the present decision suffers from a lacuna. While the MLAs can claim medical reimbursement as per CGHS rates, the ministers have been allowed to claim as per PGI and AIIMS rates. Why two different reimbursement rates when both are public representatives? Both these categories should be paid as per CGHS rates. The Chief Minister should look into the matter and remove this anomaly.

NK Gosain, Bathinda

Reform UN urgently

Refer to ‘Straight talk at UN’; External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised valid points to highlight the failure of the United Nations Security Council in maintaining international peace and security. Countries having veto power have misused it many times: China blocked the blacklisting of Hafiz Saeed as a global terrorist time and again. Why should only five permanent members control the world while the 10 non-permanent ones remain silent spectators? The UN needs to be reformed urgently to extend powers to more member countries.

O Prasada Rao, Hyderabad

Bans rarely work

Reference to ‘Review prohibition’; leave alone Bihar, perhaps no ban can be implemented anywhere in the world. In India, most bans are announced without thinking about the socio-economic and practical implications. Corruption, insincerity and the lack of workforce are the major reasons for the failure of such bans. For example, the ban on plastic bags in Chandigarh is a complete failure. Sporadic raids on traders, particularly small-time hawkers, result only in undue harassment. Besides, most local chemists in the city continue to sell medicines without an authorised doctor’s prescription and without issuing proper receipts, a legally banned practice!

Balvinder, Chandigarh

Prohibition policy

Apropos of ‘Review prohibition’; prohibition has failed in whichever state it has been imposed because at multiple levels it has taken a toll on the state. It is no surprise that a parallel economy flourishes wherever prohibition is imposed. Though the middle class can afford to buy IMFL brands smuggled from other states, the poor have access only to unsafely produced country liquor like hooch. For smugglers and some police personnel, prohibition has provided to be a cash cow. Rather than imposing prohibition, Nitish Kumar would do well to provide more domestic water connections. Now, there is a tussle between the JD(U) and the BJP to claim credit on this score, which makes all the noise surrounding prohibition unhelpful to Nitish’s cause. Prohibition doesn’t stop people from drinking liquor. Rather it is economically and socially damaging.

LAJWANT SINGH, by mail

Fighting fire

Every time there is a fire in a congested area or narrow lane of old Patiala City, the fire department expresses its inability to fight it since there is no route to reach those areas. I have been living in Patiala for 66 years. Hydrants in the old city were installed by former rulers to fight fires in narrow lanes. The municipal corporation laid new water supply lines, but failed to install hydrants in narrow lanes. At the site of hydrants, small jeeps of the fire brigade, fitted with pumps, used to douse fire as big vehicles were not able to reach the spot. It is simply a case of wrong planning of the water supply board and the municipal corporation.

Inderpal Singh Saini, Patiala

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