The Hindu : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 15, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Readers' Mail

Pay pensioners first

Sir, — The State Government sanctions additional dearness allowance (DA) to its employees and pensioners following the pattern adopted by the Union Government.

But the employees are granted DA first, and the pensioners later. If this is done in view of the financial constraints, the Government should sanction the benefit first to pensioners as those in service can withstand slight delays in payment.

K.T. Thimmareddy,

Bangalore

Accident spot

Sir, — The intersection of Hosur Road, the road leading to St. John's Hospital quarters and Sarjapur Road has become a death trap in the past few months.

Many accidents have taken place at the intersection, causing loss of life and injuries to several people. Most victims were employees of St. John's Hospital. Mariamma Ezekiel, staff nurse, and a security staff of our institution died on the spot in a span of two weeks recently.

Many representations have been made, urging the authorities concerned to make the intersection safe, but no action has been taken. We have suggested erection of a traffic signal or building of a traffic island at the junction and posting of traffic police throughout the day to control traffic from all the roads.

Apart from the two deaths mentioned, a boy was killed on the spot while going to school. A car knocked down a nursing faculty. A postgraduate student fractured his skull in another accident and needed major reconstructive surgery. A doctor at the hospital fractured her hand in a mishap.

A team of doctors,

St. John's Hospital,

Bangalore

Concrete jungle

Sir, — It is a great pleasure to come to Bangalore. Now the city is being converted into a concrete jungle. This is sad. Try to build a suburb from where people could travel to the city. Chicago is full of flyovers, which is ruining the beauty of that city.

Raghavendra Rao,

Chicago, U.S.

Traffic signals

Sir, — The time has come for the city to have round-the-clock automatic traffic signal lights which should be solar powered with electricity backup. Video cameras can be installed to book those jumping the signals.

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation should be provided with dedicated lanes for faster movement of buses. Bullock carts and horse-drawn carriages should be banned during peak hours. Those who carry articles such as steel rods and pipes that can pose a danger to other road users should be fined heavily.

D.B.N. Murthy,

Bangalore

Hospital Strike

Sir, — The Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and the Sanjay Gandhi hospital are said to be facing shortage of funds and the staff of these hospitals went on a strike a week ago.

The ultimate sufferers were the patients. A few weeks ago, the State Government reduced the grants to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Surgery from Rs. 3 crores to Rs. 2 crores on the plea that an autonomous institution should generate its own resources.

Public health and medical aid for the poor is the first duty of any government.

Owing to distorted priorities, sufficient funds are not allotted for these. At least, the next government should redraw its priorities.

S. Kuppuswamy,

Bangalore

Bangalore

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Karnataka