1) Judicious deployment of resources
Vaidehi’s write-up ‘Empower yoga’ in Afternoon Voice June 22, 2018 edition has very rightly raised the need for judicious deployment of scarce resources in a fund-starved country like ours. At a time when the common masses have to toil day in and day out to fulfil their bare essentials for day-to-day sustenance, observing Yoga Day with so much official fanfare and government patronage on an average working day makes little sense. In future, the ‘International Yoga Day’ should be observed preferably on any Saturday or Sunday to enable larger participation as also to prevent precious loss of man-hours, especially in government offices. The benefits of Yoga have to be given wide publicity and the common people have to be encouraged to adopt it as a way of life. At the same time, it has to be ensured that this is not reduced to an one-day affair, to simply attract media attention. Along with popularisation of Yoga, earnest efforts have to be made in all sincerity to improve our existing healthcare infrastructure, which in itself poses formidable challenges.
– Amit Banerjee
2) One more bank fraud
Bank of Maharashtra has come in the fraud list. In the aftermath of the fraud, top brass were arrested for giving fraudulent loans to DS Kulkarni Group. Banking sector is facing fraud cases throughout the country and RBI as a watch dog fail to detect the frauds through their inspection and audit teams. This is one more big fraud after PNB fraud. Now it is time to tighten the screws and the Finance Ministry should move in a direction to have overall control. Banking frauds cripple the country very much.
– Jayant CK Maniam
3) Kangaroos hopped for breath as England post record total!
Kangaroos hopped for breath as England amass record 481 against Australia to prove no total is impossible in modern cricket today. Lusty hitting is thanks to IPL and T-20 Cricket which was enacted by the Englishmen in ODI and even Test Cricket is not free from it as only last week India’s Test Match against Afghanistan ended in two days. Modern day Cricket is more entertainment than Class but spectators don’t complain as they get their money’s worth at the end of the day.
Englishmen held the previous record of 444 against Pakistan and it was fitting that they broke their own record in this format of the game. Alex Hales 147 studded with innumerable ‘4’s and 6’s’ was the architect of this record total and he deserves huge applause for his efforts!
– S.N.Kabra
4) The way forward
Our central government is reading neither me nor my Editor-In-Chief in Afternoon Voice. That’s why they make mistakes. I request Gadkariji to please order bulk subscription of AV to the Parliament library.
You have seen they have made mistake in Kashmir. The name of army general for governorship not yet announced. They will make mistake if they put a politician. Next mistake they are on is regarding the issue of farmers. Loan waiver is not a lasting solution. Gram Swarajya is the solution. Ask industrialists and businessmen to put some money for adopting a cluster of villages to develop roads, set up small scale industry, set up cold storages, food preservation units. Let small pumps and motors be made here and also shoes and clothing. Export these and let all MPs and MLAs use them compulsorily.
They are not starting two-year well structured national service. Indiscipline is increasing and even reached higher bureaucratic level. If you don’t have good teachers, why not bring in from other countries. I have been shouting from rooftops for this.
Unless our government listens to others, they will keep on making detrimental mistakes.
– Mahendra Singh
5) Take back Padma Awards from those involved in controversies
Many personalities and celebrities honoured in past with national honours of Padma Awards are now have been found involved in controversies. Only recently ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, who has been awarded with Padma Bhushan, has been removed from his post. Even there are reports that some of those honoured with Padma Awards in the year 2018 were declined these honours in the past because of intelligence agencies not having endorsed their names after being cleared by Awards Committee. Even submissions filed with Union Home Ministry for taking back Padma Awards from some celebrities involved in criminal cases and for being wilful bank-defaulters are not yet decided after years of filing submissions.
Central government should arrange a review of all Padma Awards given in the past by seeking affidavits from the awardees for their not being involved in court-cases and controversies. Alternatively or simultaneously, media-advertisements can be given asking members of public to send any disturbing reports about awardees. For future, intelligence agencies should be given sufficient time to verify nominations cleared by Awards Committee by requiring Awards Committee to submit final recommendations by November 30 with last date for recommendation preponed to June 30. Even the idea of making recommendations of Awards Committee public before final list is announced on eve of Republic Day can be studied so that people knowing some bitter facts about recommended names may send their comments to Union Home Ministry.
– Subhash Chandra Agrawal
6) Petrol prices should be uniform
It refers to media-reports indicating of some proposal whereby petrol and diesel may be put under highest 28 per cent GST slab with states authorised to put additional VAT or sales-tax etc. Vast difference in prices of petroleum products in different states is not proper, and rather it was regularly demanded even before implementation of GST that consensus amongst states may be achieved for uniform rate of VAT and other local taxes in all the states.
GST regime must not be made more complicated by differentiating GST system for petroleum products. Same system of imposing cess together with highest 28 per cent GST slab should be maintained for ensuring uniform prices of petroleum products throughout the country.
– Madhu Agrawal
7) Prevent plastics with Rs 5,000 as penalty
The mandatory fine of Rs 5,000 for carrying plastic bags and other
banned items will be penalised. It is time to pick up pace to dispose of all the plastic items in Mumbai city. By getting our act together, we can see light at the end of the tunnel. Plastic menace cost most of the drainage clogging and it is high time we take proper measures for prevention of plastic bags.
By banning plastic bags, we try our best to combat plastic menace. Now it is the turn of citizen to follow the guidelines and do a world of good.
– Nikhil Akhilesh Krishnan
