Reverse coal allocations

Reverse coal allocations
This is with reference to ‘PM launches defence, BJP shoots it down’ (August 28). The mudslinging by the Congress and opposition can only tarnish the ruling party’s image further. When CAG is categorical about its findings and affirms that the entire undue benefit of over Rs 1.86 lakh crore has accrued to private entities alone, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has to be more transparent in countering its findings. The PM must restrict the damage by reversing the entire allocation as was done in the case of 2G licences since he is taking full responsibility for these decisions.
—Haridasan Mathilakath, Nerul

II
The current impasse in Parliament is being watched by the people of India as many crucial bills had to be passed during this session. The BJP, by its rigid attitude, is holding the country to ransom. The utter disdain with which the Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj suggested that the Congress party benefitted from ‘mota maal’ is in bad taste. She should not forget that her close associates — the Bellary brothers — are involved in a multi-crore scams in iron ore and are in jail now.  This has clearly exposed the BJP’s doublespeak!
—Hariharan Babu, via email

III
The PM has every right to defend himself and his government in the ‘coalgate’ controversy. But his blaming the CAG when the report is under consideration of PAC/Parliament is unprecedented and undemocratic. His statement is a candid admission of wrongdoing for which he owns responsibility. But, as usual, he is silent on accountability. By delaying the decision to formulate mineral allotment policy, the UPA achieved its twin objectives of not heeding opposition CMs demand while holding up its policy of crony capitalism by allotting coal blocks to private players arbitrarily. The PM should have kept khamosh (silent) adhering to the Urdu couplet he quoted since his 32 jawabs (answers) have given room for countless sawals (questions).
—N. Ramamurthy, Chennai

IV
The PM’s spirited reply to opposition charges of impropriety in the allocation of coal blocks is far from convincing. In fact, he has misled Parliament by informing it that the delay in going for the auction of the coal blocks was due to the opposition of BJP-ruled states. What he has refrained from saying is that some of the Congress-ruled states like Maharashtra were also opposed to auctioning initially, and as per a coal ministry noting, all states subsequently agreed to the auctioning procedure. He has also not explained why the coal ministry was in a hurry to allocate the blocks when the policy for allocation was yet to be finalised. His reasoning that any delay in allocation would have hampered developmental activities is untenable as none of the hundred plus coal blocks have started exploiting the precious resource even four years after the allocation. Instead of blaming everyone else except himself, the PM should own responsibility for this mega scam and resign honorably.
—VVS Mani, Bangalore

V
After the ministers of the UPA government and Congress spokespersons, now Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is saying that he only followed the policy which was adopted before 2004 and the time consuming law-making process delayed the coal block bidding legislation. He has also trashed the CAG’s findings. Singh is no one to decide whether the CAG’s findings are correct or not. In view of what happened in CAG’s 2G eport, an investigation free of government control, and preferably under the monitoring of the Supreme Court, may only be credible.
—MC Joshi, Lucknow

Patnaik and the ‘real’ reason
Seema Kamdar’s piece ‘What is the real reason for Patnaik’s transfer?’ (August 28) though nearly touching the truth, is based surmises. The transfer was already on the cards at the behest of home minister RR Patil for his contemptuous attitude towards his junior colleagues but CM Prithviraj Chavan was reluctant to clear the proposal. However, Patnaik’s derogatory reference to Sangli while scolding a DCP at Azad Maidan was caught on video camera and that proved to be the last straw. The remark enraged RR Patil who belongs to Sangli and he was able to convince the CM to act on the transfer proposal. This is the real reason behind Patnaik’s transfer.
—RJ Sawant, Thane

Parking in BMC markets?
It’s laudable that the BMC wants to make it mandatory for malls and multiplexes to have parking facility for autos and taxis (“Make auto, taxi parking must for malls,’ Aug 28).  But has the BMC ever thought of creating parking facility at municipal offices, markets and hospitals? Can a vehicle owner ever find a parking place at the municipal market in Borivli (West)? Never!
—KP Rajan, Borivli

Courtesy and doctors
It is a long-felt need, and therefore a step in the right direction that the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) has decided to introduce the subject of ‘communication skill’ as a part of the MBBS course (‘Doctors to learn the art of breaking bad news’, Aug 28). Today, many medical practitioners lack even basic courtesies. Earlier, even before prescribed medicines brought about a cure, a few encouraging words from doctors used to boost the confidence of patients. Nowadays, that kind of courtesy is rarely witnessed. Many medical practitioners are more likely to attend conferences, seminars and workshops to gain credit points and to introduce costlier medicines in the market irrespective of the medicines’ purported curative properties.
—KK Wajge, Mulund (E)

Communist, tailor, actor,
Just like Benjamin Button, AK Hangal appeared to have been born old for generations of cinegoers. It didn’t matter whether it was in milestone films such as Sholay, Namak Haraam and Lagaan, or somewhat innovative projects such as Shagird and Shararat. Never mind whether he was called Rahim chacha, Masterji or Imam Sahib. Hangal, whose roles often demanded a beleaguered brittleness and a moderate but dogged virtue, was the very embodiment of senescent charisma. He was cast in roles that demanded piety, playing characters that carried the burden of their virtuous poverty with a quiet and kindly dignity.
—KV Raman, Malad