Surge, wave warning
The Prime Minister’s warning of another possible nationwide COVID-19 outbreak is cause for concern.The economy is limping and we cannot afford to have a second wave. Political parties should make themselves more responsible towards the welfare of the people. The vaccination drive should be spruced up while those who have had the jab should not see it as a licence to roam freely.
M.B. Madhusudanan,
Chennai
Cancelled ration cards
It is a pity that around three crore ration cards which confer a statutory right of food upon the poor have been cancelled across the country because they could not be biometrically linked to Aadhaar. The National Food Security Act, 2013 is a remarkable piece of legislation enacted in independent India that entitles a reasonable quota of ration at nominal prices to especially citizens.
The Central government has been trying to ensure transparency in the field of public distribution with various progressive reforms and also save the public exchequer a huge sum.
However, the ultimate responsibility of identifying beneficiaries and the issuance of ration cards lies with the State governments only. So States should have informed the beneficiaries well in advance of their requirement to avoid this unfortunate development (Page 1, “Serious issue if 3 cr. rations cards were cancelled, says SC”, March 18). The State governments have abdicated their responsibility in this regard.
Satish Reddy Kanaganti,
Tipparthy, Nalgonda, Telangana
Whether the government admits or not, the linkage of Aadhaar with ration cards remains a big issue at the ground level. As Aadhaar seeding is being insisted upon, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that all ration card holders are issued an Aadhaar number. Since people living in remote and tribal areas may not be aware of and conversant with the procedures, arrangements should be made at all panchayat offices to issue the Aadhaar number after adequate notice.
Kosaraju Chandramouli,
Hyderabad
The report shocks, more so for a nation which produces food grain in excess of its consumption and also in a position to export it. It exposes the missing links in food distribution. The combined failure of various agencies responsible is what has led to this welfare crisis.
Balasubramaniam Pavani,
Secunderabad
The government must moderate its zeal for blanket digitisation of life, and it cannot forget disadvantaged citizens. Living in remote areas with little connectivity is a reality and government policies must be inclusive and respect the lives of all its citizens.
Matthew Adukanil,
Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu
Control the freebies
Freebie politics in Tamil Nadu is being carried to an extremity by political parties, especially the AIADMK. It is even more disturbing that the Election Commission of India does not seem inclined to stop such reckless misuse of the State’s resources. Freebie economics has not only taken precedence over genuine economic progress but has also introduced an element of social injustice among taxpayers. While non-ration card holders do not get freebies, they will have to bear the burden of costs the State will incur on freebies. If political parties want to distribute white goods such as washing machines they must do so at their own cost rather than fritter away the State’s resources. It is time we have a law prohibiting the distribution of unmerited freebies by the state.
Kangayam R. Narasimhan,
Chennai
Fees and online glitches
A number of engineering students under MAKAUT (or the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal) have been facing a tough time since March 1, 2021, struggling to submit the online application form and fees for the forthcoming first semester examination. They have been accessing their profile page on the official website but have reached a dead end. The final date for submission of the online application has ended. The helpline numbers mentioned on the website do not work. The college authorities have directed us to visit the Salt Lake Campus of MAKAUT on the ground that the issue is related to the university and colleges usually do not deal with such issues. The security personnel at Salt Lake have been evasive in their response to our grievances and have even tried to trivialise our issue. Many of us revisited the Salt Lake Campus on March 12, but the authorities have been non-committal. One response has been, “The loss of one year is not a big deal.”
Arkaprava Pal,
Howrah, West Bengal
