Basics first

Basics first

The article, ‘A pointless number chase’ by Ashutosh Kumar Tripathi (October 8) is well analysed. Without assessing the real financial position and requirement of the rural masses it is a waste of energy and a huge loss to the exchequer. If the government really wants to help the poor, let it provide all the infrastructure in the villages and start industries and offer job opportunities so that people can improve their income levels. Unless this is addressed, merely chasing numerical targets is meaningless.

TSN Rao

Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh

Opening bank accounts is not the be all and end all of financial inclusion. Availability of food, shelter, education, medical aid and basic amenities that a human being will ordinarily require and some amount of comfort also are the basic ingredients of financial inclusion. The only way to approach the issue is by creating job opportunities and enhancing the earning potential of people, especially those engaged in the agricultural sector.

M Raghuraman

Mumbai

The other side

The article, ‘A cruel blend of casteism and neo-liberal feudalism prevails here’ by KPM Basheer (October 6) is totally baseless. Leena Manimekalai states that the daily wage is ₹232. For a month it works out to₹6032, plus the workers get 12 per cent PF, and all other amenities such as medical, water, free accommodation, creche facility with food for children, bonus, gratuity, leave with wages and so on. The total CTC is ₹9100 a month.  In addition, they also earn incentive, which is not taken into account.  If husband and wife are working, their approximate monthly income is ₹18,000 a month which is equal to the salary of an government employee. I don’t understand how she got the figure of ₹2000 to ₹2500 per month as their take-home. 

She says the trade union leaders are corrupt and they work against the interest of the workers, which is totally wrong.  In Munnar, the Kannan Devan Hills Plantations has one of the best hospitals.  In other industries, migrant workers are forced to stay in temporary sheds, whereas we have provided housing as per the Planation Act which is frequently checked by government officials.  Many workers are well off and own houses and vehicles, and they work in bakeries or vegetable and medical shops after working hours.  The plantation industry is going through a tough phase; therefore the question of daily wage of ₹500 will not arise. The industry depends on the weather, but even during the drought period between January and April payment has to be made to all employees. The plantation industry is like the army, the work is tough.   

KS Nanjappa

Kilkotagiri, Tamil Nadu

Tort liability

This refers to ‘Centre’s delay in approving pension updation scheme irks RBI retirees’ by Vinson Kurian (October 8). Although all financial transactions have a cost, if there is delay in completion in the case of payment of pension, the tort liability on the establishment stands out. This is because, if the beneficiary dies before receiving the benefit, the purpose of paying pension which is meant for the sustenance of the individual post-retirement, is lost. Every year the pension fund corpus is augmented taking into account the additional provisions needed on account of periodic revisions. The institution transfers huge surpluses to the government. The earlier revisions till 1997 are valid. The demand of the present retirees is genuine.

MG Warrier

Mumbai

We don’t need Aadhaar

The Supreme Court has rightly rejected the plea for wider use of Aadhaar. The biometric data under Aadhaar is definitely against the citizen’s right to privacy. Such data should be meant for criminals only. For financial and other actives there are enough identity cards and documents such as passport, PAN card, driving licence, voter ID and so on. Passports, which are valid internationally, work well as the single ID requirement. Acquiring a passport should be made mandatory. It will save crores of rupees that is now wasted on creating various identification documents.

M Kumar

New Delhi

Really pointless

Crores of people living under the subsistence level are not properly adjusted in wage employment; besides,the wages are woefully low. Their literacy level is certainly low. All these indicate the demand side of financial services. Suddenly the supply of financial services is thrust upon them. Demand and supply does not match in this case. The result is multiple accounts, wastage of overdraft facilities and excessive branch load and doubtful functioning of the business correspondent. The definition of financial inclusion is intrinsic and implied. Consumers or clients become empowered in terms of literacy, decent earning and have some propensity to save and then rush for financial services to better their conditions. Opening branches is different from delivering services at the doorstep. In the present situation branches must be ignoring genuine clients because the working hours are consumed in wasteful and unproductive work.

RK Arya

Faridabad, Haryana

What do we deserve?

Present day politics raises a pertinent question: Which is more important for the electorate, the person or the party? If the person is elected but changes to a party not in power, he is as good as useless in the present situation. If the party is voted to power and it elects a thug, or someone is elected through the power of money, or simply by luck, what is the position of the country or State? Do we have to accept that people get the government they deserve ?

Gadepalli Subrahmanyam

Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh

In a stupor too long

It has taken a series of crimes against women to make the Karnataka government and the police wake up from their stupor and get cracking against private companies, including BPOs, to ensure the safety of female staffers and make arrangements for their safe return home. The gangrape of a young BPO employee makes it obvious that women’s safety is ignored by both companies and law enforcers. While two-wheeler riders and motorists get penalised for petty offences, thousands of unauthorised maxi-cabs ply the street. The move to make it mandatory for cab services to have display boards and to train women drivers who can be employed in the IT-BT and BPO industries and also schools and colleges could not have come at a better time.

NJ Ravi Chander

Bengaluru

Innovative, alright!

After the invention of mobile phones there has been a big revolution in human communication system. Nowadays, mobile companies are giving their best services to customers by introducing new offers and schemes. Uninor, now Telenor, has offered free life insurance cover with mobile recharge. This depends upon recharge range. It is the best insurance scheme for customers with free investment, unlike other insurance companies. It’s an innovative idea.

Mummadi Madhu

Khammam, Telangana

Where is the autonomy?

This refers to the news item, ‘Centre’s delay in approving pension updation scheme irks RBI retirees’ by Vinson Kurian (October 8). It is unfortunate that the periodical updation of pension was agreed upon and implemented in an agreement between the Centre and the RBI in 1990 was arbitrarily withdrawn by means of an oral order without rhyme or reason. The RBI is supposed to be enjoying autonomy but even for payment of pension it has to get clearance from the Centre.

It is not only a question of autonomy, it is also a question of the survival of retirees in these days of high inflation, exorbitant medical expenditure and ever increasing taxes and declining interest rates on deposits. The dispute is certainly not because of want of resources or not recognising the genuine need to update the pension. Retirees cannot be condemned like this as they have contributed a lot to enhance the image of the RBI. This issue could have been settled amicably between the Centre and the RBI without involving so much publicity.

TR Usha

Bengaluru

What’s politics got to do with this?

The Sahitya Akademi was created in 1956 to foster coordination in literary works of Indian authors in Indian languages as well as English. Its awards are supposed to be apolitical. As such, Nayantara Sahgal and Ashok Vajpeyi returning their awards defies logic. In fact, their action raises the question as to whether their intent is to introduce politics into the world of literature. While they are at liberty to pursue their own political views, it is not correct on their part to return the awards which are a recognition of their literary work and not their political views.

P Esakki Muthu

Email

The President’s counsel

President Pranab Mukherjee’s wise counsel to preserve the core values of diversity, tolerance and plurality of Indian civilisation for the continued existence of India as a secular democracy has to be acted upon. By their timely caution that any political system refusing to allow dissent becomes a tyranny, noted writers Nayantara Sahgal and Ashok Vajpeyi have stressed the need for constant vigilance. As citizens, we are all obliged to prevent hatred, fear and violence engulfing our country.

The ill-disguised attempt to categorise whole blocks of men and women as ‘us’ and ‘them’ and ‘good’ and ‘bad’ on the basis of religion has to be fought. The growing communal polarization is fraying the secular fabric of society. The space for private dissent is shrinking by the day. Modi is caught between his dual roles as a Hindu nationalist and Prime Minister of a pluralist democracy. The future of the country largely depends on to which role he is committed.

G David Milton

Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send your letters by email to bleditor@thehindu.co.in or by post to ‘Letters to the Editor’, The Hindu Business Line, Kasturi Buildings, 859-860, Anna Salai, Chennai 600002.