The Hindu : Opinion / Letters to the Editor : Food for thought

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Saturday, Jan 14, 2006

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Food for thought

The editorial "Food for thought" (Jan. 12) on the need for the Government to drop the decision to raise the price of foodgrains is praiseworthy. As rightly pointed out, when crores are written off as "bad debts" for the rich and business categories, there is no rationale in cutting subsidies on an essential product that sustains most people.

K. Jiji Panicker,
Chengannur, Kerala

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The Government should not even think of raising the foodgrain prices. Subsidies are a necessary evil, the withdrawal of which must first apply to those who do not need them.

C.P. Srinivasan,
Chennai

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We can ill afford to ignore people's pangs of hunger. Let us hope better sense prevails on the Government.

Devadas K. Nair,
Aluva, Kerala

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According to Gandhi, civilisation is not multiplicity of wants but sharing the essentials equally. If despite subsidy, the number of hungry has increased alarmingly one can imagine the effects of cutting it. Measures to enhance income should not be at the cost of welfare.

Ch. Radhika Rani,
Hyderabad

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It has become a practice for governments to take decisions concerning welfare under pressure from coalition partners or with an eye on elections. Hike in prices of petroleum products, food subsidy, flood relief, disinvestment in profit-making PSUs, are all governed by political compulsions.

R. Murali Kumar,
Chennai

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Free lunches offered by way of subsidies, declaration of huge sums as NPAs by nationalised banks, reservation are all hurdles to prosperity.

A.S. Lakshmi,
Hyderabad

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