Letters To The Editor

Delhi8217;s Master Plan 2001 and building by-laws? Instead of rectifying the ugly situation in a planned and systematic manner, as per recent court directives, populist and hasty notifications are being issued to please the traders at the cost of residents. This will only ruin the city further.The remedy lies in removing unauthorised constructions as per court orders and fully developing the five tiers of commercial/shopping centres by building more shops or acquiring more land as required as being done for malls, separated from residential areas. This will release substantial accommodation for housing, which is already in such short supply, and will maintain the sanctity of residential areas for decent, peaceful living.

8212; Satya Prakash, New Delhi

Land records

8226; This refers to Shekhar Gupta8217;s article,

8216;Get state out of real estate8217; IE, April 22. He has concluded rightly that land is the only thing in the hands of the political class to make money and wield power. The liberalisation of the economy and the IT revolution have denuded the political class of their importance and power-brokering by limiting the reach of the 8216;permit-licence8217; raj. Land and real estate today are the major sources of political power. There is a great need for reform in this area in the form of computerising land records. Gupta has diagnosed the malady. Now we have to work for a cure.

8212; G. Narayanaswamy, Chennai

Way to go

8226; The report about a sweeper handpicked by actor Karthik as a candidate for the upper-class dominated Thevar community in Tamil Nadu IE, April 28 should come as an object lesson for the Arjun Singhs and Paswans. Instead of making reservations on paper for political purposes, let political parties pick at least 50 per cent of their candidates from the weaker sections 8212; SCs/STs or OBCs.

8212; Inder Nath, New Delhi

Quite right

8226; Your editorial entitled,8216;Witness a prosecutor8217; IE, April 12 was a pleasant surprise. Otherwise the media are in the habit of pouring abuse on public prosecutors for bringing disrepute to the judicial system. Hats off to your editorial praising the 8220;discredited8221; prosecutor in seeking the conviction of Salman Khan in a deer poaching case.

Your suggestion to accord status and a handsome remuneration to prosecutors is a timely and important one.

8212; Jitender Kakkar, Delhi

This patriotic?

8226; This refers to Sunil Gavaskar8217;s remark measuring a player8217;s patriotism by his willingness to play matches 365 days a year. This statement is disappointing. A player8217;s commitment is sufficiently demonstrated when a Kumble bowls with a fractured jaw, or a Malcolm

Marshal bats with a plastered arm, or a Douglas Marillier snatches victory in an unimaginable scenario. Subjecting oneself to inhuman playing conditions and ridiculous schedules is certainly no way to show commitment. On the contrary,it is exactly this that shows the lack of responsibility on the part of the administrators, organisers, and also players who do not put their foot down.

8212; S. Varghese Chennai