Only laws, no enforcement

Refer to ‘Myriad hurdles impede course of justice’; a critical barrier to judicial reform is the lack of public persuasion and political will. Most citizens get a peek into the legal system only during a personal crisis, making reform a low priority. Laws designed to improve the efficiency and accessibility of the justice system remain largely unenforced. Judicial vacancies, inadequate infrastructure and case backlog worsen the situation, while executive interference adds to the problems. Without strong commitment from the government, judiciary and legal professionals, the system will continue to falter.

K Kumar, Panchkula

Widening trust deficit

Refer to ‘Myriad hurdles impede course of justice’; the trust deficit between the judiciary and the citizenry has reached a critical point. All three branches of the government — the executive, the legislature and the judiciary — share equal responsibility for this growing alienation. Recent incidents, such as the beating up of an Army officer and his son in Patiala, the mishandling of Sambhal ethnic violence and the Manipur crisis, demonstrate the excesses of the executive and the state police. The lack of accountability and corruption within the judiciary, coupled with the enactment of draconian laws like UAPA and PMLA, have collectively contributed to a toxic environment that undermines the fundamental tenets of liberty and dignity. It is imperative that we acknowledge and address these issues to prevent further erosion of our democratic fabric.

Sant Kumar, Una

Faith in judicial system at stake

Apropos of ‘Cash at judge’s house’; the incident needs to be thoroughly probed as it brings into question the credibility and reputation of the judiciary. Prima facie, several arguments can be made for and against, yet the matter is so serious that it has put at stake the integrity of higher echelons of the judicial system. Appropriate action in the matter will affirm public faith in the justice delivery mechanism.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath, Kapurthala

Lack of transparency

With reference to ‘Cash at judge’s house’; we should not be surprised by the recovery of stashed piles of currency notes at Delhi High Court Judge Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence. The judiciary always demands accountability from others, but when it comes to its own tribe it has double standards. The in-house investigation is nothing but a mere eyewash. The findings of the three-judge panel will be submitted in a sealed envelope that will not be made public. Transparency in judicial affairs continues to be elusive. It is high time a National Judicial Appointments Commission replaced the collegium system to appoint judges.

Bal Govind, Noida

Mandatory rainwater harvesting

Refer to ‘Catching the rain’; just like the initiative Catch the rain-2025 taken by the Haryana Government, a plan for rainwater harvesting must be adopted in Punjab. Regular camps and strict checking of groundwater levels must be done by the government department concerned. Rainwater harvesting should be made mandatory to replenish the depleting groundwater. Taxpayers’ money must be utilised for everyone’s welfare, not swindled away in implementing government schemes. Realistic goals must be set by the implementing authorities. Since Punjab is an agricultural state, water conservation should be the topmost priority. People should also work towards saving water at the domestic level.

Jayani Mattu, Patiala

Imbibe water conservation

Apropos of ‘Catching the rain’; acute water scarcity is staring at us. We should take it as a warning for serious conservation of this life-supporting essential compound. The water table is depleting due to water-guzzling crops and tubewells running round the clock, due to which Punjab will soon join the club of water-deficient states. The prediction of above-average monsoon should not give us a false feeling of abundance of water. If we don’t adopt a conservation culture, we will keep losing this precious resource.

LJ Singh, by mail