The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Aug 07, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Reader's Mail

Only for votes

The Supreme Court very rightly has taken strong exception to the law declaring a year's moratorium on sealing and demolition drives against illegal commercial properties in Delhi's residential areas and has termed it "wholly invalid and void". This is a landmark judgment. The way the Government and all political parties are acting and behaving in their personal and political interest, there is no hope of any justice for the common man. Government policies are increasingly being dictated by the politicians' need for votes. To stick to their chairs the politicians don't hesitate to carry out far-reaching amendments to the Constitution in blatant violation of Supreme Court decisions.

Therefore, in public interest it is high time such powers of the Government are taken away by a suitable amendment to the Constitution, whereby the Government should not be allowed to supersede any Supreme Court judgment.

Mahesh Kapasi,

B-49, Gulmohar Park,

New Delhi - 110 049

Calling Sify....

I took a Sify connection (of 128Kbps for Rs. 791) on June 28 for a month. This was a pure unlimited package supposed to expire on the 28th of July.

Since the day the connection got functional, there were lots of hiccups in its working. Initially it would work only after 5 in the evening, and every second day there was a breakdown. The internet cafe run by Sify in the vicinity did not give efficient customer care service nor did they have a telephone connection, so I had a harrowing time running to the centre to complain about the numerous BB-108 and BB-101 errors.

Just four days before the expiry of the connection, Sify Customer Care called to tell me that I would be duly compensated for my loss if I renewed my account. They also gave me their contact numbers (955122303680, 955122303681) and promised that they would respond within 24 hours in case of a connection breakdown. But it turned out to be a total farce and they duped me by cancelling my connection 40 hours before the due time.

I request senior officials to please look into this serious matter. Why was I not given the unlimited hours as was promised? Absolutely no action has been taken as yet.

Rachna Mehra,

B-159, Pallav Puram, Phase 1,

Meerut - 250 110.

Quota raj

Quotas are fixed for Members of Parliament to become Ministers. Extending benefits to other MPs to hold another office of profit beyond the prescribed size of the Council of Ministers is against the spirit of the Constitution and a blatant instance of abuse of authority and corruption.

Government land has been encroached upon in more than a thousand cases across the Capital. Huge money is being made on this account. If the Government asks the people to report these cases to an Inquiry Commission with the promise that their names will not be disclosed, full details can be obtained by the Government or the judiciary in no time. This will reveal the intensity of power behind the law enacted by Parliament to stop demolition of illegal structures in the Capital.

Lachhman Das Madan,

Editor, "Baba Ji" magazine,

J-7/28, Rajouri Garden,

New Delhi - 110 027.

Train to Tundla

Before September 2004 there used to be a train from Delhi Junction to Tundla via Shahdara, Ghaziabad and Aligarh, leaving Delhi Junction at 1-50 p.m. This timing did not suit most passengers, especially daily passengers whose working hours ended at 2 p.m. They included many students and Railway staff.

We sent out a suggestion to the Railway Board on 13-05-2002 and then on 9-03-2006 requesting that this train be started from Delhi Junction at 2-30 p.m. instead of 1-50 p.m. But no, with effect from September 1, 2004, the Railway Board fixed its departure from Delhi for Tundla at 1-20 p.m., and now, with effect from July 1, 2006, at 1-15 p.m. Only to harass commuters and accommodate private bus owners. There is no train now from Delhi Junction to Shahdara, Vivek Vihar, Sahibabad and Ghaziabad up to 4-20 p.m. There is an express train which leaves Delhi Junction at 3-30 p.m. but it runs late daily causing great inconvenience to the passengers.

We request the Railway Board that the 1-25 p.m. train be started from Delhi Junction for Tundla at 2-25 p.m. or 2-30 p.m. instead of 1-15 p.m. for the benefit of thousands of passengers.

M. B. Dubey Bijnori,

Secretary, Dainik Yatri Sangh,

Shahdara, Delhi - 110 032.

No, DDA

According to reports, the Delhi Development Authority has a new elite, high-price housing scheme of 2,800 flats for high and middle income groups. These are located at Dwarka, Rohini and Shalimar Bagh. The objective is "to reduce the disparity in Government rates and market rates".

After abolishing auction of fair-priced flats, DDA has taken to raising the prices of built-up flats. Instead of providing affordability in the MIG and HIG housing schemes, DDA is functioning as a builder mafia to earn the maximum profits for itself . It is forgotten that DDA is not a commercial institution. The original objective of DDA was to provide housing for the masses with consideration of no profit. DDA was oriented towards social welfare housing programmes. Such was the provision of an Act of Parliament.

But today DDA as come to be a monopolistic institution wholly and solely the Minister of Urban Development is announcing wrong policies raising the pricing of flats. DDA should build on a massive scale through pre-fabricated public housing schemes for MIG and HIG which are reasonable, affordable and within the reach of the common man.

Gopal Bhargava,

36A, Ashok Vihar,

Pocket C, Phase-3,

Delhi - 110 052.

(Letters for this column may be sent by e-mail to wsins@thehindu.co.in. They must carry the full postal address of the writer and should be marked "Reader's Mail".)

B-49, Gulmohar Park,

New Delhi - 110 049

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