The news report by GK Nair (‘Many projects under Kuttanad package remain only on paper after seven years’, July 24) on the Kuttanad imbroglio is a very sad commentary on the state of affairs on the agricultural front in Kerala. Kuttanad is the “Rice Bowl” of Kerala and the Kuttanad-Wembanad Lake region is a world heritage site.

Almost two hundred years ago the natives, especially the enterprising Murikkan family members, used the local soil which when dried is as hard as granite to construct bunds, push the water away and cultivate rice. In fact, the region is a great touristic attraction for the Dutch as they have a similar situation near Amsterdam where they pushed the North Sea to build a city, literally under water.

It is more than seven years since a private foundation submitted an out-of-reach package costing ₹1,850 crore to the national exchequer. The fact that only granite slabs, obtained from distant quarries, at huge cost, are being laid to hold the water during monsoon, has only helped the contractor, middlemen, and, albeit, the state government in financial mismanagement. The Kuttanad farmer is in limbo, while those who run the private foundation walked away.

KP Prabhakaran Nair

Email

Uncalled for

The impasse in Parliament proceedings shows the political parties in poor light. Recently, there was strong opposition to student unions activity, not conducive to conduct of academics. The opposition is only critical and not keen on providing solutions. Probably our electoral system does not reward the opposition for providing solutions. One should seriously contemplate on rewarding the opposition. Otherwise, one will be caught in whirlpool of rhetoric.

Vikram Sundaramurthy

Chennai

A complex issue

I just fail to understand as to why most editorials or writers feel sorry for Yakub Memon and advocate pardoning. How come none of them cares to think of the 257 innocents dead and several more seriously injured. So long as death penalty is on the statute book, there can be little objection if the State goes ahead to implement the death sentence. He was tried along with the other accused, including his brother Tiger Memon and Dawood Ibrahim, who were tried in absentia, and sentenced to death for the most barbaric terror attack in Mumbai.

Whether or not a modern State is right in retaining death penalty as punishment for certain specific crimes is an altogether different issue. Societal mores in India might not warrant the abolition of capital punishment, at least not at this stage of our socio-economic development.

J Akshay

Bengaluru

Spare the central bank

The latest move by the finance ministry to dilute the powers of RBI and take control of changing the key policy rates is a clear indication of favouring the corporate sector at the cost of poor depositors already subjected to lower interest rates. This is not good for the economy. It seems that the present government wants to take control of all key sectors. The BJP government has already brought NITI Aayog in place of Five-Year Plans.

It has been trying to introduce its own land acquisition law. GST Bill is another instrument by which it wants take control of State finances. Labour reforms are another aspect by which also it wants to favour private managements.

TSN Rao

Bhimavaram,AP

Don’t disarm the governor

This refers to the report “Centre moves to take over monetary policy making, prune RBI’s clout” (July 24). Coming soon after RBI had accepted the challenge to chase an inflation target, the move based on an FSLRC report is unfortunate. One still hopes, wiser counsel will prevail and the RBI Governor will not be ‘disarmed’.

The FSLRC report should be revisited in the present Indian context, as its major recommendations need deeper study. In their hurry to show ‘results’, it seems the NDA government is rebottling UPA II’s wrong policies.

M G Warrier

Mumbai

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