Opinion Making ends meet
There is a huge debate among economists about the estimated burden on the exchequer that the food security bill entails.
Making ends meet
*This refers to Rotting food,rotten arguments by Surjit S. Bhalla (IE,September 4). There is a huge debate among economists about the estimated burden on the exchequer that the food security bill entails. Some clearly remain over-optimistic about the governments capability to eliminate the leakages that exist in the system. The writer has pointed out major costs that have been ignored,like leakages due to corruption,rotting foodgrain,storage costs etc. How can an ordinary person make head or tail of the bill when eminent economists hold such polarised views? One wonders what the truth is. The government should at least give us a realistic estimate of the cost of the scheme and how it plans to make ends meet.
Rajshree Mandal
Patna
Deflecting attention
*This refers to Modi signals his impatience: I dont dream of being the PM (IE,September 6). Many observers believe that when Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said he didnt dream of being the PM,he was simply signalling his impatience to his own party. Modi clearly seems quite eager to be anointed the BJPs prime ministerial candidate. It is ridiculous of him to have asserted the contrary. Why did he then compare his Independence Day speech to Manmohan Singhs? Why did he not make this clear sooner,so that the JD(U) would not have been compelled to leave the NDA? By making this statement,Modi has not only managed to put pressure on his party,he has also skilfully deflected attention from D.G. Vanzaras letter bomb.
B.K. Chatterjee
Faridabad
Long time coming
* President Pranab Mukherjee has rightly told the Delhi government to be careful,in light of Delhi Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarins criticism of the dispensation for using application forms for government schemes as free advertisement space for politicians (Be careful while publicising schemes,President tells govt,IE,September 6). This type of free publicity has come to be used quite often by the political class and must stop. A clear distinction must be made between what a politician does in an official capacity,as part of government,and what she does as a private individual associated with a political party. These lines must not be blurred.
Madhu Agarwal
Delhi
A pity
* This refers to the editorial,Clash and concert (IE,September 6). While I welcome the fact that the world-renowned conductor Zubin Mehta staged a concert at the beautiful Shalimar gardens in Srinagar,I feel sad that the concert was not open for ordinary Kashmiri people to attend. The concert,which was arranged for the pleasure of select VIP guests,was not about Kashmir at all. It simply used Srinagar as a mute backdrop.
R.K. Kapoor
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