Rlys must end charity

Refer to ‘7th pay panel burden hit Railways hard’ (December 5); the statement of the Railways Minister in the Lok Sabha earlier this week is not as per stated norms of governance. Indian Railways is not the personal fiefdom of an individual or a party. It is also neither a charitable trust. The minister further put the operational loss on social obligations and new infrastructure, which anyway were planned and budgeted. The services provided by the institution are for the citizens of the country, who need to pay for what they use. The Railways cannot subsidise forever. Stations, as also the track, have become public toilets and garbage bins. The effort to upgrade the Chandigarh railway station is commendable. Does anyone complain about extra charges for services at an airport? And the results are before us. Airports are spic and span. Why can’t our railway stations look like that? Services come at a cost. The Railways has been doing social service, and now the time has come to do public service, that also as public expects, and with public money, but not after incurring a loss.

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RAJIV BOOLCHAND JAIN, Zirakpur

Counsel jawans

It is very important to pay heed to emotional wellbeing, for the age we live in is full of ‘trigger’ situations (‘Fratricide: 6 ITBP jawans dead’; December 5). Regular counselling sessions with psychological experts in organisations (workplace as well as educational) can make a healthy difference and will help avoid the distressing loss of precious lives.

KRITIKA CHATTERJEE, ZIRAKPUR

Assess state of mind

Apropos ‘Fratricide: 6 ITBP jawans dead’ (December 5), it is now happening frequently in our armed forces and points at the mental state of the men in uniform. Such a state of mind also puts a question mark on their performance in the line of duty. It calls for adherence to stricter medical procedures, especially psychological tests.

RS Kishtwaria, Palampur

Overhaul education

Reference to ‘Haryana, recruit teachers’ (December 4); I submit a few suggestions: (1) principals and BEOs should be empowered to fill vacancies on ad-hoc basis against notified rules; (2) special recruitment departmental committees should be formed after taking away the recruitment powers from the commission/board; (3) schools, according to their management and nomenclature, should be divided into zones with coordinating powers at the state headquarters; (4) transfer of teachers should be bare minimum; (5) local management of schools should be handed over to panchayats/MCs as directed in Constitution Amendments 73 and 74, effective 1993. The government should aim at ‘zero-vacancy schools’.

S Kumar, Panchkula

Nab hoarders

The prices of vegetables, pulses and other household items have increased manifold in a very short period. The sharp increase in onion prices has made it difficult for the common man to eat even chapati with onion chutney. This hefty increase in prices of essential commodities is due to low production. The wholesaler reduces the supply to gain more profit by hoarding. But the government is doing nothing to reduce the inflated prices. It is vital to increase the production of vegetables and nab those involved in the black marketing and hoarding of onion and other items of daily use.

Kamaljeet Malwa, Patiala

Parali ropes

Paddy was never crushed with yoked bulls. It was separated from the plant by hitting bundles against a hard platform (middle ‘When parali wasn’t a dreaded word’; December 4). Bhoosa is wheat chaff, not parali. Parali was largely used for making disposable ropes and spread on kutcha floors as mattress.

SM Awasthi, by mail

Forget Hyperloop

Instead of taking care of the ailing economy, the Punjab Government is wasting time, energy and resources on unnecessary ventures (‘Punjab mulling Hyperloop link’; December 3). The government should stop day-dreaming and take practical steps to bring economy back on track. The previous SAD-BJP government had also tried the magnetic pod project in Amritsar, but failed.

Naresh Johar, Amritsar

Why give phones?

The Punjab Government’s decision to distribute 1.6 lakh smartphones among students won’t fulfil the fundamental needs of our younger generation. If quality education is imparted, they will have much more than smartphones in their future. In 2018, the French government passed a law banning cellphones in schools whereas we feel proud in distributing smartphones among toppers. Education, employment and hearth are more important.

Suresh Nagal, Tohana

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