Take back land given on lease for Ramlila
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) gave on lease a prime corner plot in Daryaganj (New Delhi) to Shri Ramlila Committee (Registered) exclusively for housing chariots taken out for 11 days in Navratra for the day-night daily procession. However, Ramlila-management, instead of developing a proper cemented structure for safe housing of chariots, has put up some galvanised iron-sheets that too only on some portion of the allotted land. A major portion of the leased land is being misused by Ramlila-management by inhabiting a family for residential and commercial use by also opening a shop in name of security.
Because of poor-most maintenance of the temporary tin-shades, one of the two main chariots with silver carvings and chairs has totally vanished, while the other main chariot in very bad shape requires a total overhaul.
DDA should cancel the lease in case Ramlila-management does not remove encroachment of residence and shop of a person on behest of Ramlila-management and ensures building a proper concrete structure for proper housing of chariots for which such a super-costly plot was given to Shri Ramlila Committee (Registered).
Madhu Agrawal
Impose one-time toll-tax at time of purchasing new vehicles
New highways and expressways are being regularly developed in different parts of the country. However, multiple numbers of toll-plazas at all these expressways and highways cause unnecessary hindrance in otherwise smooth fast traffic. Many unauthorised toll-plazas have also been set up in connivance with local politicians and police for unauthorisedly looting unaware public. There are reports that even authorised toll-plazas have to pay regularly to corrupt ones in the system.
Best is to replace toll-system by charging one-time toll-tax on purchase of new vehicles like system exists for charging one-time road-tax on purchase of new vehicles. All concerned including vehicle-users and transport-authorities welcomed system of a one-time payment of road-tax avoiding the cumbersome procedure of paying and collecting road-tax.
Amount collected through one-time toll-tax on purchase of new vehicles can then be utilised for developing and maintaining highways without necessitating toll-plazas as big hurdles causing queues at toll-plazas. One-time toll-tax can be fixed according to the ex-showroom price of new vehicles so that people having costly cars may have to contribute more than those purchasing economy cars. People paying extra clubbed with the cost of the new vehicle will never mind because of the facility of toll-free movement in the future.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
Extend Tejas Express to Madgaon
The train No. 22119 / 22120 Mumbai CSMT – Karmali – Mumbai CSMT Tejas Express i.e. an air-conditioned semi-high speed train was introduced recently by Konkan Railway. As the train operates for five days a week, the service is very beneficial to many tourists heading to Goa from Mumbai and reaching the destination within a span of seven hours.
The train runs between Mumbai CSMT and Karmali near Madgaon in Goa. The Konkan Railway authorities should now consider extending this train up to Madgaon, as presently it causes an inconvenience to many passengers to reach Madgaon from Karmali. Though a facility for direct rail line connectivity to Madgaon already exists it is very ironical to note as to why Tejas Express terminates only at Karmali instead of Madgaon which is a major junction.
Many passengers who are mostly tourists intending to visit Goa through Madgaon are put a great inconvenience owing to this factor and causes further inconvenience, especially during peak holiday season during summer and year-end.
Hence, it is hereby requested to the concerned Konkan Railway authorities to consider the extension of 22119/22120 Mumbai CSMT – Karmali – Mumbai CSMT Tejas Express up to Madgaon Junction. The positive move will certainly benefit many passengers who also include tourists visiting Goa from Mumbai to alight directly at Madgaon itself.
Varun SD
Intelligence failure
The IED blast in Gadchiroli which resulted in the death of 16 Jawans was a result of intelligence failure. Naxals are active in the area and our intelligence should have been aware of the movement of anti-social activities more so during election times when the whole area should have been put on high alert. The lives of our jawans have become very cheap as people are more bothered about protecting politicians and bureaucrats than the Men In Uniform. Our jawans die an unsung death and after the initial media hype, the whole thing is forgotten until another blast takes place in the near future.
Border protection is critical but our govt must also be alert on internal security within the country and also the safety of our jawans who gets martyred due to poor intelligence and negligence. The Home Ministry should not take these events lightly and the failure of security, as well as intelligence, should be investigated at the topmost levels!
S.N.Kabra
Be cautious of traps
I fully agree with the statements of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot what he expressed about the Modi government that the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are about saving democracy from dictators who are preaching nationalism as the history of the world stands for a testimony that every dictator in the world used nationalism for his benefits. PM Modi is following his footsteps by raising nationalism as the only issue. People should be cautious of this trap.
Md Azim
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
