The Hindu : New Delhi News : Reader's Mail

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Monday, May 14, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

Reader's Mail

Danger ahead

The newly designed bus stops in Delhi are supposedly disabled-friendly. Perhaps so, but they are definitely abled-unfriendly.

They sport the list of bus routes served by them up front, facing the road, and not on the sides as usual and meaningful. If you are approaching the bus stop on the same side of the road, you have to step on to the road to find out the routes served by the stop. And thereby you run the risk of being run over by the very bus that you might want to get on to!

The DTC authorities must do something about this.

Raghuram Ekambaram,
29 Triveni Apts.,
A-6, Paschim Vihar,
Delhi - 110 063.

Tele-pangs

I live on the ninth floor in a high-rise apartment in Vaishali Sector-9 at Ghaziabad. About four months ago, a Reliance cell phone tower started coming up in an adjacent "farm house" (how such a commercial operation got permission to function from an agricultural-mainly plot is, of course, another story) on the north-eastern side, extremely close to a large number of apartments in this vast group housing complex called Supertech Estate.

We approached the UP Pollution Control Board office in Vasundhara Sector-16, who expressed total ignorance. We supplied to them references to a large number of studies showing that long-term exposure to cell phone tower antenna microwave radiation can cause very serious health problems like increased growth of brain cancer cells, high chance of leukaemia, neurological changes and increased breaks in DNA.

We also approached the District Magistrate, the Mayor of Ghaziabad, and the Ghaziabad Development Authority -- all with copies of references to many studies which show that these deadly diseases are statistically far more likely if we are exposed to high-intensity microwave radiation. We have also apprised the senior residents of nearby Judges Colony -- again with copies of references.

All our activity resulted in a letter from the Pollution Control Board to Reliance asking for a reply, but nothing more has happened. Meanwhile, the said tower with antennae is now functional, radiating very high intensity microwaves directly at many apartments where a large number of children, senior citizens and others are staying.

Is private profit of Reliance so much more important than grave threats to the health and life of so many innocent citizens, including children? Doesn't our fundamental right to life as guaranteed by the Constitution get violated by this brazen act of Reliance Telecommunications?

Whom do we approach now ? Will the higher authorities in UP and the judiciary take notice ?

Soumya Dutta,
Flat 912 Regent,
Supertech Estate,
Vaishali Sector-9, NCR
Ghaziabad - 201010, UP.

LIC's ways

I have opted for VRS from a multinational company, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd, Gurgaon, with effect from October 1, 2006. As per the company's retirement policy, I am eligible for a small superannuation amount of Rs.1,340 per month with effect from October 1, 2006. The pension fund is managed by LIC.

On November 30, 2006, I returned two of my pension cheques (November and December 2006) to the LIC Pension Department on Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi, for rectification of my name as it has been written wrongly in the cheques. My Annuity and Policy numbers are 011M0930064115 and 4037, respectively.

They assured me that the new cheques would be issued in a month. But despite numerous personal visits by me and my representatives in the months since then, I have still not received the cheques duly rectified. Every time I am told by the officers concerned that printing of new cheques is "under process". Is there any end to this "process"?

M. M. George,
Flat No.187,
DDA SFS Pocket 3,
Sector 12 Dwarka,
New Delhi-110 075.

Long wait

A parcel containing books from Astoria Station, Long Island City, New York, was sent to me on 09-02-2007 through air mail by Prabodh Kaul. The Customs form No. is LC 998442132US and the Bill No. 1000400203278. Enquiries at the US Post Office have confirmed that the parcel has reached India.

It was sent by express post to reach me within two weeks and it cost $ 59. Three months have gone by but I am still waiting for it to arrive.

Rajat Mitra,
C4/4092, Vasant Kunj,
New Delhi.

Taxing times

On May 9, 2007, the PDF file of Form C, Self-Assessment of Property Tax, which I downloaded from the website of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi pertained to the year 2004-2005. Is it that some people's property tax is overdue by three years?

Or are we being given a history lesson?

Mukul Dube,
D-504 Purvasha,
Mayur Vihar 1,
Delhi-110 091.

(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".)

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