Why not Punjab?

The formation of the high-powered committee to make the MSP regime more transparent has triggered a political slugfest. What raises the eyebrows is the fact that Punjab, which was behind the Green Revolution, besides being the main contributor of foodgrains to the Central pool, has not been given representation. While various states and universities have found representation, the iconic Punjab Agricultural University, which has produced world-class scientists, has been ignored. The Central government should give representation to Punjab, which has richly contributed to the freedom struggle and has been feeding the country since time immemorial.

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RAMESH K DHIMAN, Chandigarh

Include PAU scientists

Refer to ‘Row over MSP panel’; the corpus of research by agricultural experts and scientists of the PAU and HAU is laudable and useful for revamping Indian agriculture. Their historical role in ushering the country into the Green Revolution is praiseworthy. The brightest minds from these universities should be included in the Union government’s committee meant for making the MSP system more transparent.

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

Mutual faith must

The MSP panel has been rejected by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which has announced to start another round of agitation as Punjab does not find any representation. The public faces the brunt of such agitations. All stakeholders should be accorded due place. No side should take an unreasonable stand. To achieve results, positive attitude and mutual faith is a must. The government should give due representation to all, particularly renowned scientists and economists from the PAU, HAU and such other institutions.

NK Gosain, BATHINDA

Reconsider decision

The reason behind not giving representation to Punjab in the MSP committee is a mystery. There is still time to reconsider the decision and avoid any ugly situation as farmers are fuming. Policies should be resilient to keep space for change. The situation needs to be handled maturely in the interest of the public who suffers the most.

Raj Kumar Kapoor, Ropar

Air safety

Refer to ‘DGCA crackdown’; due to pandemic losses, there is a possibility of airlines compromising with safety standards by cutting corners in aircraft maintenance. The DGCA’s directive should have come earlier. Even as the regulator asked the airlines to comply with safety protocols and report back to it by July 28, two more instances of snags have been reported. The situation is worrisome as the airlines aren’t being asked to do anything new. India has in place a safety programme and an integrated set of regulation for air safety. The occurrence of a large number of incidents is the result of component failure. But given the policy support and worrying reports on safety, there are bound to be questions on the performance of both the DGCA and the government.

PL Singh, by mail

Take on mining mafia

The cold-blooded murder of a DSP in Haryana by the mining mafia is shocking. The state and the nation have lost a true son of the soil who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. It would be a shame if his sacrifice goes in vain if heads do not roll even now. Scores of trucks are being used for illegal mining, and if they are not seen by the eye of the law, it simply means that it is being run in connivance with the political-bureaucratic nexus.

Amit Kumar, Mohali

Population control Bill

If our leaders are really concerned about the prosperity of the country, they must go ahead with population control. A section of society seems against population control, but it must understand that controlling population is as much in their interest as in the interest of the nation. Undoubtedly, rising population is the mother of all problems the country is facing; like unemployment, housing, food, water, electricity and even fresh air. A Bill on population control is in everyone’s interest.

Lt Col Ram Lal Arora (Retd), Jalandhar

Melodious gems

The death of legendary singer Bhupinder Singh has upset his fans, and the Indian film and music industry. His mellifluous voice enthralled the hearts of millions over the past six decades. His long career may not have a large body of songs, but certainly they are melodious gems which would always echo in the hearts of his countless fans. His natural grace and talent would leave indelible footprints in the sands of time. A befitting tribute would be from a song sung by him and Lata Mangeshkar, ‘Meri awaaz hi pehchaan hai, gar yaad rahe….’

GURPREET SINGH, MOHALI

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