The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Madurai News : Readers' Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Madurai

Readers' Mail

Satchel issue

Sir, — Several representations have been made in various quarters in respect of reducing the heavy satchels students are forced to carry but nothing seems to have changed the mindset of educational institutions.

In this connection, the Education Department has issued a directive to schools in the recent past to take steps in this regard.

One does not know how much importance is being given to that instruction.

The suggestions put forth for reducing the load of the satchel are:

Rescheduling the timetable to accommodate two periods for each subject instead of taking 7/8 subjects a day.

Binded books and notebooks are to be avoided.

Half-quire notebook can be used for each subject and a fresh notebook may be taken for each quarter. This way even if a student loses his notebook, the lessons can be copied easily.

Test notebooks may be retained in the school.

Other than languages, subjects can be clubbed in one book by dividing portions, which will reduce the burden of carrying all books, with the entire syllabus.

For this, the school administration has to take steps from now on for the next year needs and issue directions to book publishers accordingly.

In respect of higher classes, long-size loose sheets, instead of notebooks, may be used and filed properly in the students' houses.

Huge load of books carried by children will damage their backbone in the long run.

Students from villages and poor families suffer the most as they either walk a long distance or go by crowded public transport daily.

Schools should also avoid asking the students to stand for long hours in hot sun to welcome the `VIPs.'

Are we not living in a civilised society?

How can the school authorities remain a mute spectator to sufferings of young children, especially when they can be avoided.

T. Srinivasa Rengan,
Madurai.

No shelters

Sir, — There are no bus shelters in the PP Chavadi bus stops (one of the oldest bus stop in the city) on either side of the road in Madurai.

The public in general and children and elders in particular are forced to stand in the scorching sun.

With no shelters, public are forced to seek the shade of nearby shops and other establishments while waiting to catch the bus and have to run some distance to catcvh one.

May I request the concerned authorities to do the needful.

T. Raj Pravin,
Madurai.

Paying for `free' darshan

Sir, — During a recent visit to Kallazhagar Temple in Madurai, I was surprised to find that Re one per head was collected from devotees for `free darshan.'

A token was issued, but without the signature or date of the Executive Office or the authority concerned.

This is shocking, taking into account the Government issuing and effecting an order to keep the chappals of devotees for free in temples.

I request the authorities to set things right.

T. Nagarajan,
Madurai.

Interest

Sir, — In addition to the monthly interest scheme for senior citizens, in vogue for some years past, a revised scheme has been introduced recently, fixing the maturity period to five years and a quarterly interest of nine percent per annum payable to depositors in person only and cannot be credited to Savings Bank account held by them in the same post office.

Very old senior citizens such as myself (I am 86 years of age) have to pay auto fare to go to the post office to draw the quarterly interest, which is an avoidable expenditure.

Now the same revised scheme has been introduced in all nationalised banks with a provision to credit the quarterly interest to SB account and the depositors need not go to the banks for drawing the interest in person.

It is, therefore, suggested that the same facility be extended to depositors who have already deposited in the revised scheme in post offices.

Though computerisation had been introduced in all HPOs and important post offices, entries are still made manually in the passbooks resulting in waste of time.

It is not clear as to why entries are not made in computers as done in the banks since besides saving time the entries also would be clear.

Will the postal department consider this suggestion favourably?

M. Ratnasabapathi,
Madurai.

Pat for engineers

Sir, — Thanks to the Highways Department, the railway-over-bridge in lieu of the level crossing on Palamedu Road in Madurai is nearing completion.

Engineers of the project concerned deserve to be applauded for the quick and quality work.

However, two things worry the public. One is the Railway's complacency in re-starting the work on the span over the tracks.

This could prove to be a time-consuming affair with extensive temporary arrangements for unhindered rail traffic.

Unless the Railway expedites this work the bridge will suffer serious delay in commissioning for public use.

The Railway may have to take the blame for the delay and face the flak from public and politicians.

The second worry is the possible encroachments in valuable space under the bridge, which may even spill over along the side roads.

This must be prevented by the concerned authorities at any cost.

The space must be protected and used in the best possible way for the common good.

The space can be allotted to Government, quasi- Government bodies, banks, LIC, Postal Department, district library etc.

V. Thiruvengadanathan,
Madurai.

Walkers' plea

Sir, — The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Devasthanam has done a splendid job by filling water in Teppakulam tank at a great cost.

The walkers, who go around Teppakulam, are grateful to the temple authorities for laying tiles around the tank for a breadth of seven to 10 feet so that walkers need not jostle for space.

However, after the tank gets filled with water, shrubs and leaves on the tank floor float on the top and start decaying, emanating a foul smell, which is disgusting to walkers.

Moreover, wastes and debris are cleaned only in the Southwest corner of the tank but not on the eastern corner.

It is requested that after removing debris and green matter in the tank, the water can be chlorinated.

S.N. Gurusamy,
Madurai.

Madurai.

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