It is the bounden duty of the government to care for senior citizens who have now made Coimbatore a preferred destination for settlement. Colonies to house the aged have been built by public trusts like Brindavan on Thondamuthur Road. But an asphalted access road is an urgent necessity for Brindavan. District Collector Dr P. Umanath graced the function here on World Senior Citizens Day and honoured the eldest resident here, Vaidyalingam who is 97 years old. An ex-document writer, Mr. Vaidyalingam’s zest for life is remarkable. Dr. Umanath felt honoured to give a memento to a 97-year-old retiree and promised help to the aged.

Myself a senior citizen resident, aged 87, I hail his concern for the aged. He is the first Collector to respond to my representation on hardships to senior citizens from poorly done road with big potholes off Thondamuthur Road. Urgent steps are called for to asphalt the access road.

N. Hariharan,

Coimbatore

The interview with Kovai Gnani was scintillating (Personality of the week, Sept. 30). Gnani is an erudite Tamil scholar, a great thinker, writer, journalist, socialist and above all, a true Marxist. His love for Tamil has verily conquered his physical disability of loss of vision. His monthly magazine Tamizh Neyam is a standing monument of his innate and never-ending passion for Tamil. He is a great humanist who does not care for publicity.

A. Ranganathan,

Coimbatore

It is with deep disappointment that I went through the list of cities where the new tourist-friendly autorickshaws are to be introduced (Oct. 14). Coimbatore is among the most favoured tourist destination in the south with its proximity to Ootacamund and a number of other tourist spots in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Besides, visitors to the city have been facing harassment at the hands of fleecing automen who have been resisting all attempts by the state government to correct the situation. I hope those in power will look into this matter again, bring in the new autos to cater to the visitors and the residents alike and bring down the cost of auto ride here to match that in other large cities in the region.

Bernard Thangasamy,

Coimbatore

Unlike the good old days, education has become very expensive these days. Securing admission even for highly promising and bright children in good private schools - right from LKG - has become a major problem for their parents/guardians for the simple reason that huge lumpsum payments - Rs. 30,000 and upwards under the guise of collecting money for building/infrastructure development fund - are insisted upon by the managements without taking into consideration the parents’ financial status. Those belonging to the middle class are the worst affected by this because to ensure a bright future for their children, they take huge loans and become heavily indebted. Government schools are invariably overcrowded and hence there is absolute need for government-recognised private schools everywhere. The government should ensure that private institutions do not penalise parents/guardians unduly. Talented children should be spotted, encouraged and provided with adequate facilities by the government.

K.D. Viswanaathan,

Coimbatore

I am a regular visitor to the Uzhavar Santhai at RS Puram. I would like to draw the attention of the health authorities to the unhygienic situation there. On the southern periphery of the Santhai after the tea stall there is a small gap before the vegetable stalls begin. A storm water drain runs the entire stretch and this is behind the stalls, hence normally invisible to the shoppers.

One day I noticed that the air was thickly saturated with the stink of human excreta, particularly at the southern boundary.

I went through the gap and saw two men squatting at their ‘job’, discharging the waste into the open drains meant for storm water. On enquiring with a vendor he said no one can help because before daylight appears almost every vendor eases himself/herself in this fashion. I request the Corporation health department to make a surprise visit at 5.30 or 6 a.m. and take remedial action.

Sunder. S,

Coimbatore

I wish to bring to your notice that people are at great risk while crossing Avinashi Road, especially near Nilgiris.

The traffic is heavy and the speed at which vehicles are being driven is scary. It would be good if a pedestrain bridge is built to facilitate crossing.

Gita Parameswaran,

Coimbatore (Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and phone number)

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