VOX POPULI

G R Kalra,PANCHKULA

Voluntarily observe traffic laws

This refers to the news report “Police moves proposal to UT Admin to clear pending RLVD system” (Chandigarh Newsline,October 17). The reported move by Chandigarh traffic police to get a clearance from UT Administration for installing “Red Light Violation Detection (RLVD)” system,aimed at keeping a close watch and also identifying through sensors the errant vehicles involved in jumping the red lights at traffic signals in the Tricity,is laudable. According to a report in Chandigarh Newsline (October 18),the offence of red light jumping has resulted in maximum increase in the number of challans — 30,164 as of September 30 as against 18059 challans issued last year. It is pertinent to note that the cases of red light violations,being the most common and the most dangerous one,are also increasing with increase in the number of vehicles in the city. This shows the tendency on the part of some of the vehicle owners to usually “skip” the red lights whenever they find that a traffic policeman absent. The latest proposal of introducing RLVD system ought to be given top priority by the Administration. Truly speaking,it is also incumbent upon all the vehicles plying on the roads to ‘voluntarily’ observe the traffic laws for ensuring a safe driving for self and others too,as per the reputation enjoyed earlier by City Beautiful.

S K Gupta,CHANDIGARH

Appointments should be diverse

THE Hooda government in Haryana has reportedly accorded its approval for appointment of three more Information Commissioners (ICs) in State Information Commission (SIC). By giving its nod to induct a couple of journalists in the Commission,the state government deserves due applause as it has dared to move beyond hitherto adopted approach of zeroing in over mostly superannuated bureaucrats so as to fill these type of elite posts albeit it is another aspect that this time too,a senior babu,who is amongst those few lucky ones who are enjoying extension in service after attaining age of superannuation a couple of months back,has been also able to hit the jackpot by claiming a chair in the SIC. With these new appointments,the strength of SIC would be raised to eight as against the maximum allowed limit of ten,of which four would be retired IAS officers. This would make the presence of bureaucrats to more than fifty per cent in the Commission. It is indeed an irony that ever since the Right to Information (RTI) Act came into force eight years ago,bureaucrats on the verge of their retirement started eyeing the SICs as a post-retirement hub for their rehabilitation. Of course,the competent bureaucrats,who had an illustrious service record,always upholding transparency in administration,need to be appointed. But suitable persons from other walks of life also need adequate representation,which unfortunately has not been the case – be it RTI activists,academicians,distinguished members from various walks of society etc. If desired fruits from RTI are yet to be reaped,the primary factor responsible for it is our official Babudom. Be that as it may,although as any Act can only lay down a broader roadmap for its effective implementation and it is upon the wisdom of those who are supposed to implement the same,it is hoped that henceforth,preferably for the remaining still vacant two slots in SIC,the state government would grant due representation to persons from various strata of society.

Hemant Kumar,AMBALA

MC should maintain parking lots itself

Chandigarh has around 9 lakh registered vehicles for a population of about 12 lakh people. Shrinking parking lots for a large number of vehicles is a serious concern. More than a decade ago,on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court,the Administration had assigned the responsibility to the municipal corporation (MC) to maintain parking lots in the city. The MC,while abdicating its responsibility,had adopted an escape route to maintain these parking lots through contractors. At present,as many as 24 parking lots in the city generate Rs 4 crore annually for the MC without the corporation doing anything. Wherever the parking lots are being maintained through contractors,several infirmities such as lack of proper drainage system,no security,unhygienic conditions and child labour are seen. Several times theft of vehicles is not ruled out. When nobody comes forward to take these parking lots on contract,the MC has to incur huge financial loss,the most recent being a loss of Rs 50 lakh,owing to non-auctioning. To overcome this problem,the corporation should maintain the parking lots itself,which will not only maintain the parking lots smoothly,but will give employment to a large number of persons besides earning a huge sum of money annually.

S K Khosla,CHANDIGARH

Tackle substance abuse collectively

The substance abuse among students is alarming in the city’s colleges and education institutes. The parents of those who come from other states for studies are worried about the involvement of their wards. Drug addiction is a slow poison which is encouraged in societies by the youngsters in school/colleges and other social gathering. There is an increase of drug addiction among students due to rising of western culture promoted by internet services,open media and stress among students. The youths are also targeted for use of such substances by foreign agencies with intention to disturb law and order and spoil the unity of the country. The parents must spare time to spend with their ward and warm them against substance abuse as it can spoil their life. The teachers should play an effective role in guiding their students too.

Sukhpal Singh,CHANDIGARH

Awareness needed on garbage disposal

The transformation of Chandigarh from the capital project to the present day municipal corporation (MC) has been a tale of a clean city to the most-littered is painful. During the sixties,we had an efficient door-to-door garbage collection system. City Beautiful had no flies and mosquitoes. One could sleep out in the open with no mosquito nets! The current situation is that the land fill site at Dadumajra is completely saturated. The Garbage Processing Plant to convert the city garbage into fuel pellets to be sold to Ropar Thermal Electricity Plant has been a no-starter. The stench from the heaps of garbage at Dadumajra has spread to the nearby sectors. Are we hurtling towards the plague-nurturing situation,which engulfed the most affluent city – Surat – of Gujarat? It was triggered by the complete collapse of garbage management of the city by the municipal committee. The fancy schemes like Sehaj Safai Kendra for the collection and disposal of garbage are bound to fail in the absence of awareness among the polity and the sincere effort of the MC staff,coupled with strict enforcement action. I also recommend that a statue of Rag Picker be erected outside the MC Office to honour them for the voluntary social service for a pittance at the peril of their health. They are the unsung heroes and saviours of the city.

Col K D Pathak (Retd),

CHANDIGARH

No tainted man needed for good jobs

It was saddening as well as shocking to read the news item – Bansal to inaugurate sec 17 overbridge on November 1 (Chandigarh Newsline,October 15). Why can’t the authorities find a clean person to do the job? Why did they have to choose a tainted MP like Pawan Bansal,who is not only a culprit in the multi-crore Railways scam but also embroiled neck-deep in Booth Ghotala ? People of Chandigarh will have to hang their heads in shame every time they will see the bridge. If the bridge is inaugurated by a tainted person like Bansal,the bridge itself will become a symbol of corruption. I wonder why the media and the intelligentsia of Chandigarh and even the common citizens are maintaining a criminal silence on this vital issue. On the heels of nomination of Bansal by the Chandigarh Congress as a Lok Sabha candidate from Chandigarh,the people of Chandigarh have again been insulted.

A K Sharma,CHANDIGARH

RTI should be used judiciously

RTI is an effective tool that empowers the common man to fight/address one’s grievances in a favourable manner,which otherwise would not have been possible. The abbreviation RTI stands for ‘right to information’. However,some so-called RTI activists,a term that I am not able to comprehend,seemingly consider this as ‘right to infringe’ upon one’s privacy and reportedly misuse the tool for illicit personal profits as criminal minded blackmailers do. This condemnable practice hampers the working of offices immensely,and often leads to avoidable delays in providing information in genuine cases. There is a strong need to keep a legal check on such activists so that they do not indulge in this unwarranted practice,as is done in regard to PILs,all of which are not entertained by the court of law.

Balvinder

Sachin to play his last game

With reference to the editorial “Sachin gets his wish of Mumbai farewell”,it is pleasant to know that the god of cricket – Sachin Tendulkar – has his dream come true of playing his last and 200th test match at his home ground. I appreciate the decision of the BCCI. The team would have to stand united and put up a together show after this inspiring man retires. The entire country is waiting that this great man turns up with a big score in his last test match. He has been a source of inspiration for many and will always remain so. He would continue to rule our hearts and his last match would not only be an interesting but also a memorable one. It would be interesting to see how this great man showcases his techniques in his last match. To fill his place would really be a herculean task. The better day than this one,which would be cherished by all (in the game of cricket) would only be when Sachin’s records are broken.

Arshdeep Singh,MOHALI

Schools’ History content needs change

The teaching of History in India (especially in Haryana and Punjab) continues to be the way the British wanted us to learn. While all Sanskrit literature was pushed to myths (non-history),the theory of the Aryan invasion made all the difference in our perception of our forefathers. Though the myth of Aryan invasion has been logically exploded by the exponents of historical logic,it continues to be taught as the foreigners designed,obviously for their selfish motives. This has led to the greatness accorded to the invaders like Akbar,while ignoring the nationalists and revolutionaries. This has further given rise to the confusion about self and lack of nationalism. Rewriting of History through the nationalist view is the immediate need if we really wish for a better future.

Jai Prakash Gupta (Dr),AMBALA CANTT