The Hindu : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 26, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Readers' Mail

Pensioners overlooked

Sir, _The State Cabinet, which met on January 6, 2004, has decided to constitute a Pay Revision Commission (PRC) for the Government employees. But it is surprising that the Government has yet again ignored the plight of pensioners by not conceding to their long pending demand with regard to release of DA arrears.

There were high expectations that the Government would sanction the five instalments of DA to pensioners along with the setting up of PRC to employees.

The hopes of the employees have dashed to the ground. Several representations have been made to the Government for the release of five instalments of DA to pensioners.

The Government never took the issue seriously, leaving the pensioners distressed.

Even a pensioner's sacrifice for pension... in Kothagudem town has not made any impact on the Government. The government remained stubborn on pensioners Da issues as ever.

The Government is adopting a stubborn attitude even though former CLP leader Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and the State BJP chief, Indrasena Reddy, had urged the Government to release the DA instalments.

The pensioners are facing hardships and are unable to maintain their families due to paltry pension perks. It appears that the Government is not prepared to bale them out from the financial crisis.

It is unjust to single out pensioners by denying them the DA increase on the plea that the State is facing financial constrains.

The Government is requested to consider the issue on humanitarian grounds .

R. Rangiah,

Karimnagar

* * *

Bogus voters

Sir, _The opposition parties were justified in their protest on January 5, 2004, against the inclusion of bogus voters in the electoral rolls. The strength of fake voters surprisingly runs into lakhs and in some villages it has crossed the population mark, as is evident from newspaper reports. Whether such inclusions were made at the instance of political parties or officials, persons responsible for such dubious acts should be dealt with as per law. The request of the opposition parties to conduct gram sabhas does not hold good, as revision has to be done by making visits to individual houses. The Election Commission is already seized of the matter and we can hope that it initiates the right action in checking this anomaly.

B. Vishwanatha Rao,

Medak

* * *

User charges in hospitals

Sir, _ The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commissioner, K. C. Pant, while speaking in Hyderabad on January 7, 2004, has rightly said that core social sectors like health, education, drinking water, soil conservation and sanitation are the areas where the Government has to spend public money.

But the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, who claims of providing good governance wants to collect user charges from citizens for utilising services at Government hospitals. This is against the Constitution. He took the oath of office owing allegiance to the Constitution and to implement it in true spirit. But now he talks of privatising core sectors like education and health.

He has even reduced the annual budgetary allocation to a vital sector like health, to a mere 0.9 per cent and wants to burden taxpayers by collecting user charges to run the hospitals, which is unconstitutional. We have sufficient number of doctors in the Government sector, which negates the Chief Minister's claim that more doctors are required in villages. All Government policies are for public scrutiny and citizens have a right to question them. The Chief Minister says to start a medical college the Government needs Rs. 50 crores, which it doesn't have. But at the same time he is planning to invest Rs. 1,000 crores to set up a Formula One racetrack. Is it necessary for a State like Andhra Pradesh?

S. Prakash Rao,

Kurnool

* * *

Neem as bio-pesticide

Sir, _ Azadirachtin, the active principle of neem (Azadirachta indica) is found in rich concentration in neem seed oil. It is now established that neem seed oil, through a specialised process can be enriched with azadirachtin further. The azadirachtin-rich neem oil can be used as a bio-pesticide on a wide range of applications. It is a versatile organic compound capable of replacing more than 200 chemical pesticides, a majority of them non-biodegradable creating havoc in animal nutrition.

The technique of making azadirachtin-rich neem oil has been perfected by OTRI (Oil Technological Research Institute), Anantapur, and it has also been published.

There are nearly 20 million neem trees in India and seed collection and processing for oil is an established industry especially in southern States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

When rest of the world is facing a cut throat competition in production and application of chemical pesticides with deadly effects on human life, a safe natural and eminently biodegradable pesticide in the form of azadiraachtin-rich neem oil has remain under utilized in the country. With more support from the right quarters, India can produce safe and biodegradable neem bio-pesticides.

G. Azeemoddin,

Anantapur

* * *

Manned level

crossing needed

Sir, _With a mere dozen trains running through Guntakal in the 60s, the number has now gone up to nearly a 100. Satyanarayanapet in Guntakal is the mostly thickly populated area through which the trains pass everyday at a frequency of almost ten minutes. The trains as they traverse, whistle loudly, nearly from a distance of 250 metres to the unmanned level crossing in V. V. Nagar, disturbing the peace, attention and health of old people, students, babies and patients. The authorities concerned are requested that the distance be reduced to 50 metres, putting up a manned level crossing gate in V. V. Nagar, through which hundreds of children, students and employees pass through on their way to schools, colleges and offices.

R. Dwarakanatha Rao,

Guntakal

* * *

Callous DTO staff

Sir, _Officials at the District Treasury Officer (DTO), Nellore, don't seem keen to follow the hi-tech administration being pursued by the State Government. I wish to state a few things in this connection. The Government had released the budget for salary grant on August 28, 2003 and an on line message was sent to the DTO's office here the same day. Surprisingly the DTO's office simply ignored it. The on-line message was sent with regard to the payment of salaries to the staff of aided private colleges in Nellore.

The DTO staff said they wanted the `ink-signed' copy from the Director of Treasuries, Hyderabad, if the salaries for July and August 2003 were to be paid to the staff. If that is the case, then why is the Government harping on running a hi-tech administration?

The Director of Treasuries took a month to despatch the `ink-signed' copy of the so-called `advice' to the Nellore DTO office. Even after the salary grant was available, the aided college staff had to suffer for a couple of months due to the callousness of DTO office here.

It was the same case with regard to the salary grant for September 2003.

M. V. S. Prasad,

Nellore

Karimnagar

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