Provide adequate compensation
Refer to ‘Workers in peril’; workers play a major role in building roads, flyovers, bridges, dams and tunnels. In recent years, the infrastructure sector has been a key driver of the Indian economy, and workers are the real heroes of this success story. The long operation to rescue labourers trapped in an Uttarakhand tunnel, two deaths at an under-construction building in Chhattisgarh and the mishap at a railway station in UP attest to the need for implementing the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act, 1996, in letter and spirit. In case of death and serious injuries, victims’ families must get adequate compensation.
Raj Bahadur Yadav, Fatehabad
Punish defaulters
Apropos of ‘Workers in peril’; news reports about the collapse of buildings, bridges and flyovers and accidents in tunnels and mines where workers get trapped are becoming an everyday affair. Such mishaps can be avoided if provisions of the Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act, 1996, are complied with sincerely and the safety of workers is ensured. The building regulations and the quality of the construction material should be checked; no relaxation should be allowed to contractors. Construction workers’ contribution to infrastructure development is immense and their safety cannot be ignored. The employers who are defaulters on this count must be severely punished.
Subhash Vaid, New Delhi
Authorities must take action
Refer to ‘Workers in peril’; the editorial has rightly highlighted the situation of the workers who are made to engage in dangerous tasks. In the past also, there have been many reports wherein such daily-wage labourers were employed to clean septic tanks, falling under the purview of municipal bodies. These hapless workers are the breadwinners of their families and they risk their lives to earn a livelihood. The authorities concerned should take into consideration the workers’ safety before employing them in such hazardous tasks. State governments should also take necessary steps so that such tragic incidents don’t recur.
Ravinder Kumar Jain, Ludhiana
Law must facilitate governance
Apropos of ‘Disclosure curbs enfeebling RTI law’; the main objective of the RTI Act was to ensure good governance and transparency, which were direly needed in our bureaucratic style of functioning. However, over time, the Act was misused by self-styled activists to the extent that honest government officials became defensive in their decision-making. Some activists file applications seeking trivial and even personal information, which can be misused. The Act needs to be balanced to avoid such situations. While the spirit of the law is good, it has to be viewed in a wider perspective. It has to be a means to facilitate governance and not hamper it.
Tejinder Sharma, Kurukshetra
Centre must assure farmers
With reference to ‘To firm up joint course, farm unions to meet in Patiala today’; the meeting is an important step towards breaking the deadlock between the Centre and farmers. The farm unions must prioritise their key demands and offer solutions to the government, especially regarding crops that can replace paddy. On the other hand, the Centre should introspect and come up with a written resolution to assure farmers that any crop that conforms to the standards shall get a minimum profitable return. This step is necessary to convince farmers to end their protests and leave the highways free for unhindered movement.
Harsimranvir Singh, Patiala
Must protect art & culture
With reference to ‘We don’t care’; India is a veritable treasure trove of artistic works, but it is a great pity that we don’t care about them. People don’t try to protect the works, unless these have something to do with religion. There are thousands of monuments across the nation in a state of neglect. Unless tourists come to visit a place, neither the authorities nor the people seem to bother. Our ancestors created marvellous works that have survived to this day. We must question ourselves when did we change and why.
ANTHONY HENRIQUES, MUMBAI
