Border Roads Organisation’s services significant
Sir, Your editorial (DH, June 26) on the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) does not take into account a historical perspective of the Organisation.

The BRO was raised in 1960 because the government wanted a disciplined force to work in sensitive border areas without being subject to the normal pressures and inadequacies a civilian organisation would face.
Perhaps in the mid 1970s there was a proposal to disband the BRO and replace it with 22 Army engineer regiments.

Lt Gen J S Bawa, then BRO chief convinced PM Indira Gandhi  of the BRO’s excellent work and sought its permanent status which the Defence Ministry did in stages.

The status quo was to be maintained regarding the structure and composition of the force to ensure against its unionisation lest it become ineffective for its envisaged role. The Army officers are an integral part of the BRO to ensure that it functions as per the charter laid down under the Act under which BRO was born and larger defence considerations.
Vivek Bopiah
Bangalore

A signal service
Sir, You have done a signal service by publishing the photostat of the relevant document on the front page “Papers reveal CM-realtor connection” (DH, June 29). Does not this proof suffice for the Deve Gowda family to go into a tailspin, instead of going hammer and tongs against the people who are inimical to them?
It is common knowledge that the very name Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) was started with the intention of allotting land to entrepreneurs in order to start large, medium and small scale industries at reasonable prices. Allotting huge tracts of land at throw away prices to privileged classes is a clear violation of set rules and the irregularities are discernible.
H P Murali
Bangalore

Develop tier cities
Sir, This is with reference to your editorial, “Wake up call”, (DH, June 29). According to the UN report cited, Karnataka lags behind several other states with regard to urbanisation. This is due to the myopic and unfair “Bangalore centric” development policies adopted by successive governments in the past six decades. Two tier cities like Belgaum, though richly endowed in all respects are scornfully overlooked by policy makers. Adding to the woes is the lukewarm activism of the people’s representatives from this region towards correcting the imbalance. Whether it is about formation of new districts or allocation of a SEZ, the development of North Karnataka (NK) continues to be on the backburner.
Mahen Jain
Belgaum

Amend the I-T laws
Sir,UP Chief Minister Mayawati has claimed that her assets worth Rs 52 crore, was the money donated to her party by her supporters in Rs.5 and Rs 10 notes. It is the biggest hoax of the year. It is also a very dangerous example which will be emulated by other unscrupulous politicians in India giving a boost to political corruption.  Usually the focus of the tax agencies are to prevent tax evasion. In this case a taxpayer declares huge assets in such a suspect manner. If the present law is in adequate and lacks teeth to deal with such cases, the law must be amended poste haste to deal with such hoaxes lest other leaders follow her illustrious example.
M M Kotian
Bangalore

Elect the meritorious
Sir, I appeal to politicians of various parties to vote for really a more competent and meritorious person as our future President without bringing party politics into the picture. Because the President should not even belong to any party. Even if a candidate does belong to a political party, he has to give up his  political affiliations and only then will he or she be able to make correct decisions without fear or favour and not  otherwise.
S M Acharya
Pune