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HomeOpinionLetters to the Editor: July 03, 2018

Letters to the Editor: July 03, 2018

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1) Classy climate

It was indeed a pleasant climate on a monsoon morning. Amazing weather marked the day in Mumbai this morning. Of course, it was wetter but yet no stagnant water in the streets to walk.

Misty condition but yet vision very clear for vehicular traffic move around the city. The climate was chilly but yet no need of a sweater to wear. Mumbai, as usual, was humid but yet skin so smooth and thus connecting us closer to nature is the soft cool breeze. In all, it was pleasant morning to begin. What a wonderful weather to enjoy and relax.

– Nikhil Krishnan


2) Modified delimitation needed in Delhi

Delimitation in Delhi should be streamlined by having two exclusive constituencies for trans-Yamuna areas with simplified names as ‘East Delhi’ and ‘Yamuna Vihaar’ with river Yamuna as boundary to separate rest of the five seats on other side of the river which could have easy names as ‘New Delhi’, ‘Old Delhi’, ‘South Delhi’, ‘North Delhi’ and ‘West Delhi’ eliminating confused nomenclature like North-East Delhi or North-West Delhi. All the seven Lok Sabha constituencies may comprise of 10 assembly-seats even though twenty trans-Yamuna assembly-seats may have slightly less representation of voters. Major roads or rail-lines should be dividing boundaries between different constituencies. Such slight modifications can be done through an ordinance before forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.

There is a peculiar situation in UP-bordering areas like Abu Fazal Enclave (Delhi) where a very small area of the western side of river Yamuna is still in UP. Such a peculiar situation should be avoided by Centre’s intervention to redefine Delhi-UP border very marginally with river Yamuna becoming boundary line between UP and Delhi for the area near Abu Fazal Enclave.

– Subhash Chandra Agrawal


3) Abolish outdated Inland-Letter-Card

Presently, mail-tariff for post-cards and registered newspapers is decades old and is in paise where coins below rupee one are now virtually totally out of circulation. It is senseless to have mail-tariffs in paise. Otherwise, even beggars refuse to take coins in paise-denomination. Sale of post-cards has sharply declined, and mostly extra-ordinary heavy subsidy on post-cards is largely misused by chit-fund companies and other business houses. Listeners of Akashwani also misuse extra-ordinarily subsidised post-cards to listen to their names on the radio by sending post-cards indicating any song as their choice. Even postal-department delivers such rubber-stamped post-cards without realising that printed post-cards bear normal tariff separately without getting the subsidy. Likewise, the production-cost of newspapers has risen multi-folds in the last several decades, therefore, it is senseless to continue with mail-tariff in paise in the name of benefitting small newspapers.

Minimum postal-tariff should be Re 1 for postal-articles requiring subsidies like ordinary post-cards and registered newspapers. Additional revenue can be earned to partially offset the big loss by providing remaining half of side bearing address column like was done in case of post-cards in Meghdoot category earlier. It is also high time to discontinue with the totally outdated and unpopular Inland-Letter-Cards also bearing heavy subsidy with this subsidised postal-article largely misused for commercial purposes.

Mail-tariffs for rest of postal-articles should be in multiples of rupees ten with ordinary-mail tariff revised from present rupees five for every 20 gms or part to rupees ten for every 50 gms and part. Either GST should be abolished from postal-services like Speed Post, or their tariffs should be so fixed that net payable price by users may be in multiples of RS 10 inclusive of GST. Extra earning can be done by introducing sponsored postal-stamps with some minimum print-order and some minimum purchase of such stamps by the sponsors. It will be an extension of the system where advertisements by sponsors are printed on postal-stationery. It will also increase the popularity of postal-services in competition to private courier-companies where sponsoring companies will prefer using their sponsored postal-stamps, rather than using private courier-services.

– Madhu Agrawal

 

4) Testing time in fire fighting

In Mumbai, high rises are not fully equipped with fire preventive measures and that is one of the reasons for major fires in the metro city. The number of electrical short circuits are taking place because the air-conditioners are used for a long time and computers kept on during the night at times by mistake also causes fire.  Prevention is better than cure is applicable to fire accidents as well. Before closing office premises all the precautionary measures have to be taken in full to avoid fire mishaps. Housewives should also take all preventive measures. Leak in pipe gas and gas cylinders are the other cause for most of the fires.  Keep house corridors and stairways-free from obstructions. It is also advisable to keep track of unused supplies like newspapers as these are known combustibles. Clearing out unnecessary items in closets and garages are preventive measures too. Generally, fire prevention and its success lie in one’s ability to determine possible causes and setting out full-proof plans in order to counteract each. Societies don’t maintain fire safety equipments in working condition and create panic at the time of the fire. Prevention is better than cure is very correct in case of fire in high rise buildings.

– C.K. Suresh

 

5) Mumbai – a ‘Jugad’ city

Mumbai is one of the costliest city in the world to stay but people of all income groups from the very poor to the very rich make both ends meet without much difficulty. The city has an excellent local train service which means one can reside in the outskirts of the city where accommodation is much cheaper and still make it to the city in an hour time for work. Mumbai’s roadside eateries are popular and cheaper which means dining becomes affordable for all income groups. There are many charitable trusts and guest accommodations that offer cheap stay and food which helps students who come here for studies.

Mumbai is a ‘Jugad’ city where you can plan out in every budget. There are travelling, eateries, entertainment apps available apart from membership scheme that offers heavy discounts to survive in the city. Mumbai city thrives on the ‘consummation model’ where the more facilities you use, the more cheaper they get which is beneficial for all. A costly but fun city when compared to other global cities, Mumbai is a unique city to live in!

– S.N.Kabra

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

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