The Hindu : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 24, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Reader's Mail

Social welfare

Sir, - In a State where 75 per cent of the annual budget of Rs.16,000 crores is imprudently spent on debt servicing, salaries and perks including 6,500 staff cars, how much can be earmarked under the social welfare sector for the universal literacy or rehabilitation of vagrant children or for the population below the poverty line?

It will be considered undignified and violative of rights, if children not amenable to gainful education are drafted to do even light manual jobs in factories or hotels or even as domestic helps on fairly sustainable remuneration, while in other States earning what you can by doing what work you can do is not considered disgraceful. As our country is one among the five nations of the world with the top rated corruption index valued about 10 per cent of the GDP and one among the 11 serious violators of particular concern in the matter of religious freedom and communal harmony, even the compelling necessity is not sufficient to attract aid from affluent countries or philanthropic organisations for such massive social welfare schemes as children's development.

Still the Government should properly plan the economy enforcing fiscal disciplines and find funds for preventing children from begging and rehabilitating them and attempting to give universal primary education by controlling wasteful expenditure or seeking assistance from NGOs for the purpose.

Joy Eapen,

Pathanamthitta.

Sand-mining from rivers

Sir, - This is with reference to the much-maligned sand-mining from the rivers, which has been alleged to cause the shortage of water in the rivers. The self-styled experts, mostly politicians, almost make us believe that it is the sand that produces water in the rivers.

There is a lot of sand in the riverbed because of the soil erosion upstream, due to the loss of tree cover. We should not let a precious resource like sand just flow into the sea.

We should remove more sand from the riverbed and make large ponds, which will collect water in the rainy season. This will be a cheaper alternative to check-dams, which also, after all, store water.

If the riverbeds are deepened, breach of the riverbanks and the consequent flooding in the rainy season can be avoided.

The present-day society cannot go on without river sand, which is available in plenty.

Ranjit Grover,

Tripunithura.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala