Food for thought

The editorial rightly observes that the food security bill does not identify the target group it aims for.

Food for thought

THIS refers to Welfare wisdom IE,December 20. The editorial rightly observes that the food security bill does not identify the target group it aims for. It is better,as suggested,to start the programme on a pilot basis in one or two states,instead of launching it countrywide,because we have seen the perils of NREGS which was started across the country in haste.

P.R.A. Nair

New Delhi

APROPOS Welfare Wisdom,a word of caution is given at the appropriate time. The distinction between priority and the general groups has to be made. In the absence of a foolproof modus operandi,the corrupt will grab all that is meant for the poor. Moreover,the vast segment of population that it intends to cover needs an efficient administrative machinery,not the often leaky corruption-ridden public distribution system.

B.N. Verma

Lucknow

Look whos talking

WITH reference to Manish Tewaris article When Centre cannot hold IE,December 21,I fully agree that the authority of Indias executive has been significantly diminished. Tewari seems to blame everyone the coalition system,the bureaucracy,Anna Hazare without naming him,the judiciary for their activism. What he conveniently forgets is that it is indeed the politicians who are to blame for this sorry state of affairs. The peoples uprising,led by Hazare,and the so-called judicial activism would never have happened if there was some semblance of good governance and if there wasnt such rampant,brazen corruption.

Anant Nerurkar

Pune

Wasted away

MANISH TEWARIS plea for the restoration of effective executive governance has relevance in view of Indias political crisis. Legislation under duress is a dangerous precedent and a threat to the parliamentary,federal democracy envisaged under the Constitution.The degeneration of parliamentary and federal governance should be addressed within the framework of the Constitution and the laws of the land. These challenges must be faced without giving the executive unrestrained powers. However,the present state of executive governance in India suffers not from a surfeit of power but an atrophy of power.

Rekha Saxena

Delhi

Retired hurt

Apropos Sell the idea IE,December 21,the lackadaisical attitude towards the New Pension Scheme could be attributed to the demographics of India,where the young put retirement planning on the backburner. It is imperative that we develop financial literacy programmes to explain the concept of pensions and annuities,and revamp collection networks to reach even rural areas.

Sudipta Das

Kolkata