The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reader's Mail

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 11, 2006
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Reader's Mail

Save a life

I am a rheumatic patient. My doctor has advised me to take a Penidure LA-12 injection every 21 days. According to the doctor, there is no other substitute for this injection. But for the past few months there is an acute shortage of this life-saving drug. It is not available at any chemist's shop in the city.

I am afraid the dreaded disease may attack me again at any time in the absence of this injection which is manufactured only by Wyeth company.

The authorities concerned are requested to ensure that this life-saving drug is available in the market without fail.

Shekhar,

C/o Sehyog Alp-Ahar Restaurant,

Tilak Nagar,

New Delhi-110 018.

Calling ICICI....

I purchased an ICICI tax saving bond for Rs. 5,000 on 26-02-2003 for a period of three years. The Certificate No. is 321542.

For mailing address, I had given my office address (Room No. 228, A Wing, Sena Bhavan, New Delhi-110 011). The redemption date was 26-02-2006. Yet, more than ten months past, I have not got any intimation about the bond from ICICI Bank. On enquiry at the bank's New Delhi office I was told to write to ICICI Info Techn Ltd, Unit ICICI Bank Bonds, Maratha Mandir Annexe, Dr A. R. Nair Road, Mumbai Central, Mumbai-400 008. I wrote to this office giving all the details through Speed Post on October 13. But there has been no response so far.

I appeal to the ICICI Bank authorities to redeem my bond and send the cheque at the earliest to my official address or the residential address given here.

Uma Maheswari R,

W-27, Hudco Place,

Andrews Ganj,

New Delhi - 110 049.

Hello Airtel....

I have a mobile phone connection from Airtel (98970-49024). I recharged it from an Airtel dealer for Rs. 333 (Recharge No. ID740462305) and was told that I would get full talk time as the validity of my connection is till March 2007. But I received talk time worth only Rs. 171.

The dealer asked me to contact Customer Care, which I did. I was transferred from one team leader to another and finally promised a call back in a couple of days. A month went by but no word yet. I even called their U.P. West Circle officer and Nodal officers advice at ccfeedback.upw@airtel.in and appellate.upw@bharti.com but nothing happened. Finally after a month I received a call from Customer Care (98970-10349) promising a refund to my account within two hours. Two weeks have passed but nothing so far. This is the second time this has happened. The first time was in July when I had lost out Rs. 395.

Where do I stand now? Will Mr. Sunil Mittal please take note that his customers are being fleeced and take appropriate action?

Arpan Kumar,

House No. 12,

Pushpanjali Colony,

Rajendra Nagar,

Bareilly, U. P.

A tragic death

I was shocked and grieved to read a recent newspaper report about Shubham Chaudhary, a Class IX student of Frank Anthony School in South Delhi. Shubham was accused by his school of being an indisciplined, "attention-seeking" boy. He allegedly used to bunk classes (well, who doesn't occasionally, and what of the teachers who do it on a regular basis?) and was accused of stealing Rs. 300. He was made to sit on the floor for a whole day. His father was called to the school by his teacher and humiliated in front of the whole class. The next day Shubham had lunch and went to his room to sleep. Some time later his body was found hanging in his room.

Schools from times immemorial have been regarded as temples of learning. These are places where a pupil is taught to identify his or her potential and develop it in the best possible way. But schools like Shubham's seem to operate in a totally different manner. It is not hard to imagine what mental torture Shubham must have undergone while being accused of stealing.

Today teaching has become just another job: teach for a month and take your salary. The joy of imparting knowledge has vanished. In my opinion the teacher responsible for the tragic death of Shubham should be meted out the strongest punishment. Such teachers tarnish the legacy of real teachers such as Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Dr. Manmohan Singh and President Avul Pakir Jainulabuddin Abdul Kalam.

It may well be time to introduce a Prevention of Cruelty to Students Act in the Lok Sabha this winter session.

Hari Nair,

Class XII, Montfort School,

Ashok Vihar,

Delhi-110 052.

Railways' ways

Despite repeated requests to the Railway Board and the General Manager and Divisional Manager of Northern Railway, no effective steps have been taken to provide proper booking facilities to women, senior citizens and the handicapped at Shahdara Junction. This causes them great inconvenience.

There is a separate counter which is supposed to function from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. but for a long time it is not working properly.

On November 27 this counter was totally closed during these hours, leading to a heavy rush.

The Northern Railway authorities must look into this and improve matters.

M. B. Dubey Bijnori,

Secretary, Dainik Yatri Sangh,

Shahdara, Delhi - 110 032.

Taxing time

Your coverage of the MCD budget exercise for the coming year is balanced. As part of the exercise, the MCD has an important issue to sort out: the lifetime exemption from payment of property tax for 4500-odd property owners who had paid their property tax under the 10-year lump sum scheme in 1986-87.

Newspaper reports have it that the MCD is going to have a discussion soon. I appeal to the powers that be to amend the Unit Area Act, 2000, so that the promised lifetime exemption under the 10-year lump sum scheme is allowed uninterruptedly.

B. R. Jassal,

7-A/59, W.E.A, Karol Bagh,

New Delhi - 110 005.

(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".)

C/o Sehyog Alp-Ahar Restaurant,

Tilak Nagar,

New Delhi-110 018.

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