Drop CVS in the interests of the people

Sir, Surprisingly there is not much protest against the abnormal increase in house tax in Bangalore with the introduction of the Capital Value System (CVS). The master brain behind this system, which affects  all sections of people, should be rewarded with a special title by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for creating such a simple methodology to fill the government’s coffers by  bleeding honest and helpless house owners, many of whom are non-pensionable retirees.

People at the helm of affairs should realise that  house owners, who already find it difficult to survive with the prevalent cost of living in the city, especially retirees, will be under great financial stress to cope with an abnormal increase of house tax under the CVS.

It is high time that the CVS should be immediately dropped and the status quo maintained in house tax at least for non-commercial house properties to ensure social justice.

V S Ganeshan
Bangalore

Draconian system

Sir, With reference to Defer CVS (DH editorial, Mar 18), the CVS is ill conceived and highly unfriendly towards citizens. Not only will owning property become a nightmare but also rentals will shoot up. Without doing its homework properly the BBMP is rushing in for the new system.

If the BBMP concentrates on recovering dues from people evading payment of property tax and avoids unnecessary expenses like foreign jaunts of councillors and introduces absolute transparency in awarding road contracts, there will be sufficient money and this draconian scheme can be avoided.

T V Jagadisan
Bangalore
 
US hegemony

Sir, When the US occupied Iraq we kept quiet. When they imposed sanctions on Iran (and wanted us also to do the same) we did not complain. When they interfered in Korean affairs, we kept silent.

When they dictated to Pakistan we were somewhat happy. The list of their interference in internal affairs of countries is endless. Now they have come to us about the affairs in Nandigram. Can we expect any of those countries to come to our support if the US consider some “serious” measures in future?

V S Venkatavaradan
Salem

Replace Gill

Sir, With reference to the news report, MPs sign to oust hockey chief Gill (DH, Mar 16), it is high time that K P S Gill, president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the executive members resign and make way for the new team of office bearers.

Many captains and coaches have had to resign or have been shuffled like pack of cards during the tenure of Gill. It is really a worthwhile effort from our MPs to try and weed out the present set up for the future of Indian hockey.

Mandikal S Ananda Rao
Bangalore
 
War of words

Sir, It is really sad to note athlete Anju Baby George’s comments that she did not consider P T Usha as a world class athlete.

She has stooped to such a low level to make remarks on Olympian P T Usha’s achievements, and to say that Usha got fourth place in 800m hurdles in ‘84 Olympics because of the boycott of the Eastern bloc.

Coming from a poor family, P T Usha made it to the world stage of athletics by sheer hard work and she did not have proper training facilities. Anju has no right to comment on her. She has to grow a little more.

Madhusudan
Bangalore