‘Payments’ dilemma

With reference to ‘Payment banks need new business models’ (February 13),to understand the viability or unviability of a model, one needs to have the bank business levels (demand deposits on the liability side plus investments made/deposits with banks on the asset side) of the payment bank and the stand alone revenue generated from the bank business figures.

Sadly, it is not easy to find out the said figures especially the revenue from banking operations. The payment banks’ results are clubbed with revenue or expenses generated from other activities.

The writers’ suggestion of allowing payment banks to lend will lead to liquidity mismatches.

The idea of neo-banks too seem utopian given the problems faced by small finance banks at present.

V Viswanathan

Coimbatore

Victory for India

The release of eight former Indian Navy personnel who were earlier sentenced to death by the Qatar court and later commuted to prison terms is a great victory for India’s quiet and patient diplomacy.

The peaceful resolution is a clear pointer to the deep bilateral ties between India and Qatar.

The recent multi-billion dollar LNG import deal with Qatar is a case in point. Given the fraught geo-political environment in the Middle East, India has its task cut out to further deepen ties with Gulf countries.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan (TN)

Address farmers’ woes

The farmers of this country reaching the Capital seeking their justified demands is not a sudden turn of events. The government should have discussed with the protesting groups instead of detaining farmers and blocking the entry roads.

The Centre’s moves display its fear over the growing strength of farmers. Any government that fails to care farmers, unemployed and the poor is destained to face crisis.

AG Rajmohan

Anantapur

Undemocratic Pakistan

The editorial “Match fixing in Pakistan” (February 13) discussed farcical elections in Pakistan’s democracy. Despite the economic downturn, none in Pakistan contested elections on saving the country from a debt-ridden catastrophe. While the army commands half of the economic resources, the government there has to toe the army’s line.

Despite imprisonment of Imran Khan, his candidates mustered 101 seats in Parliament which is Imran’s bouncer to the Army and the opponents. However, the independents are being lured to join treasury benches. India’s worries of Pak sponsored terrorism will neither be addressed nor heeded.

Vinod Johri

Delhi