Pay hike and the common man
Sir, Admitting that it is a strategy for any ruling combine to do anything to continue to be in power when an election is on the cards, the present “bonanza” by the pay panel raises certain issues. The set of recommendations is attractive enough. But, does a pay commission headed by a retired justice prone to give in to the political needs of the government in its findings? – “No”.
This apart, the enormity of the recommendations appears to be on the high side – notwithstanding the rationale behind it. Experience has shown over the past decades that any rise in pay – let alone in the Dearness Allowance – has had repercussions on the prices in the markets and more so on the state governments. Already, the prices of oil, milk, transport, commodities and eatables in hotels have been hiked. The increase in pay is bound to have a highly unfavourable cascading effect on the remaining vast populace of the country.
S S Ramanatha Rao
Bangalore
Excessive burden
Sir, This has reference to the recent recommendations of pay hike for central government employees. It is not understood why a lot of importance is given to this by the media, since banks and other public sector undertakings also get all the other benefits, including pay hike. It should not be forogetten that this news of a pay hike for central employees may result in an increase in prices of essential commodities, which will put an excessive burden on the common man.
H Sriranjini
Bangalore
Big fishes
Sir, With reference to It’s a small net for a big fish (DH, Mar 23), casting aspersions on billionaires does not appear to be fair. While cricketers and actors pay large sums as Income Tax, their contributions to the well being of the society is minimal if not nil. Industrialists like Mukesh Ambani may not pay personal income tax in crores; but the thousands of jobs they create, the thousands of crores of sales tax and excise duties their organisations pay and the thousands of crores of foreign exchange they earn by exports go unsung.
S R A Krishna Setty
Bangalore
Islamic terrorism
Sir, China accuses the Dalai Lama of colluding with Islamic terrorists to destabilise the Olympics. This is simply preposterous and just shows how they have become jittery over the uprising in Tibet. Even if there is a grain of truth in what they say, they deserve what they are getting. All these years they were hobnobbing with the military junta in Pakistan and exporting the worst kind of terrorism to destabilise normal life.
VIJAY MOHAN
Chennai
Another menace
Sir, The crusading spirit with which the Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss is fighting against the use of tobacco products and junk food is indeed laudable. But at the same time he has done precious little in other areas of public health. International pharmaceutical cartels are dumping in India innumerable drugs and medicines that are already banned in developed countries because of their known harmful long term side effects.
Rajalakshmi V S
Mumbai
Poll gimmick
Sir, The spate of farmers suicides continues in Vidharbha even after P Chidmbaram’s farm loan waiver. It is now clear that the benefits will not accrue to a majority of farmers as the ceiling is just two hectres. Most of the farmers have taken money from private money lenders. The waiver of loans is nothing but a poll gimmick .
A Srikantaiah
Bangalore
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