Privatisation, no solution

Will privatization of banks solve all the problems overnight? It should be noted that even after a scam of such magnitude, there is no news of people withdrawing from PNB; they still have faith in the bank. That’s because it is a public sector bank. Had it been a private bank, it would have been different. Should there be a scam in a private bank, and the possibility cannot be ruled out, the Government will come to the rescue because it involves public money.

If all banks are privatised, then who will cater for rural India? Who will finance agriculture and other priority sectors? What would be the fate of farmers? Maximum NPAs are seen in private sector companies. Having said this, the most important thing is good governance of the banks and no political interference.

The finance ministry is right in asking banks to examine NPAs of more than ₹50 crore for any sign of wrongdoing. Besides fixing responsibility and accountability on individuals for every credit facility sanctioned, some measures can be taken to check NPAs. These are: proper and timely monitoring of loans, pre-audit sanction from specialised agencies and various kinds of regular audits to check there is no diversification of funds.

New Delhi

By striking down a discriminatory exclusion clause in a health insurance policy and upholding the claim of a patient which was earlier rejected by the insurer on the ground that he suffered from a genetic disorder, the Delhi High court has come to the rescue of the insured who have often been taken for a ride by insurers with their unreasonable exclusionary clauses in health insurance policies which are solely designed to avoid claims. That health insurance in India suffers from lack of scale as it covers only 29 per cent of households, and asymmetry of information, manifested itself in an insured member being unable to access the real scope of the policy or negotiate the terms with the provider. This calls for stronger regulation with a thrust on placing stricter obligations on insurers and removing exclusionary clauses in insurance policies. It is time to revisit existing insurance laws to ensure there is no age bar on entry, pre-existing conditions are covered and renewal of policies is guaranteed.

Sholavandan,Tamil Nadu

Finally, Karti Chidambaram has been arrested in connection with the INX Media case. Why doesn’t the Government create a special CBI team to speed up cases involving high-flying culprits so that they do not go scot-free?. Narendra Modi should show his guts in this matter which will definitely garner him the people's support, though not from the political class and their allies.

Bengaluru

This is with reference to ‘Doles can’t help double farm income: Former CACP chief’ (February 28). If we can make our villages smart by providing good sanitation, infrastructure, roads and creating employment, we can solve the problem of migration of villagers to already overcrowded cities. There are many NGOs working for the underprivileged people; they should be taken into confidence by the Government and be given support to build toilets and educate people on hygiene in the villages. The concept of smart villages on the lines of smart cities will lead to the overall development of the nation and prevent lop-sided economic growth.

Thane, Maharashtra

Some people come, conquer our hearts and go away quickly. They show the world what it takes to attract universal adoration even without seeking it. As a fan of Sridevi from Telugu land, I am proud that she acted maximum in Telugu films, alongside two generations of Telugu heroes, from NT Rama Rao, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and Krishna to Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, Balakrishna and Venkatesh.

Hyderabad

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