Revise Postal Tariffs
THE present tariff structure of Speed Post is such that at times sending mail articles through reliable and fast Speed Post is much cheaper than sending the same through unreliable ordinary post. Moreover, it is illogical that only selected premium postal services like Speed Post may attract the GST while other ordinary postal services remain exempted from it. The postal tariffs, which were revised many years ago, continue to have tariffs like of 25 paise for registered newspapers even though coins of this denomination were discontinued long ago. Post cards should have minimum tariff of rupee one. All postal tariffs should be revised in multiples of Rs 10 (inclusive of GST, if applicable). However, concessional minimum tariff of rupee one may be there for post cards and registered newspapers. Ordinary mail may have tariff of Rs 10 for every 50 gms or part instead of the present Rs 5 for every 20 gms or part. Extra tariff for registered post may be Rs 20 instead of the present Rs 17. Speed Post tariff for both local and non-local mailed articles can be Rs 30 for every 50 gms or part, thus making net postal tariff for initial weight slab of registered post and Speed Post may be same at Rs 30 for first 50 gms.
MADHU AGRAWAL, DELHI
On Voting Right Of Criminals
WITH the news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may not wait till 2019 for the general elections, the spotlight will once again be on the course of action by the Election Commission of India that will go into making the entire process a smooth affair. It is in the midst of such a scenario that news that a federal judge in USA ruled that Florida’s system of restoring voting rights for felons who have served their time is arbitrary and unconstitutional and needs to be changed as soon as possible gained headlines recently. While this ruling should send us Indians a timely reminder of the fact that it is not uncommon to have criminals kept away from their active involvement in the election process in many countries, the observation that Florida’s ‘felony disenfranchisement’ policy is flawed should make us ponder over our elections where every possible attempt is made by various political parties to bend the rules to accommodate those with criminal antecedents in the election fray in spite of recent judicial decisions that disallow such practices. The purpose behind the enactment of such laws is to keep away criminals from a system of governance where those elected by the masses go on to represent them in the high seats of power which will ultimately lead to the criminalisation of politics that the country is much at pain to abort. But money and muscle power as essential components of any election process in the country which has enabled parties across the political spectrum to garner ‘valuable votes’ have been the bane of this so-called great democracy.
PACHU MENON, MARGAO