Don’t argue
This is with reference to ‘SC moves itself on Info Act’ (DNA, March 9). In all fairness, the Supreme Court (SC) had referred to the Delhi high court (HC) for viewing the scope of the office of the chief justice of India coming under the the RTI Act. Apparently, an HC bench delivered a verdict that SC judges were within the ambit of the act. Instead of losing time in arguments, the SC must adhere to the HC ruling.
Deepak Chikramane, Mumbai
Bad decision
It is good that the state government has decided to give the MMRDA the responsibility to build the Trans Harbour Link (‘Final verdict: MMRDA will build Trans Harbour Link’, DNA, March 11). However, it is disappointing to note that the rail part of the project is not being taken up. Was it not the responsibility of the state to ensure coordination for the infrastructure project and ensure that the rail part is simultaneously taken up? The result is that lakhs of people living in Navi Mumbai would be losing an opportunity to travel by rail, and so reduce their travel time, but yet would be paying for the project through taxes.
S Subramanyan, Navi Mumbai
Need for training
It is heartening to note that the Rajya Sabha has passed the historic Women’s Reservation Bill with near unanimity (‘Women’s bill over the hump’, DNA, March 10). Hopefully, the Lok Sabha will follow suit. However, today literacy among rural women is woefully lacking, with political literacy being a far cry. There is an urgent need to spread literacy in rural areas.
The election commission should be entrusted with the task of spreading political literacy, through a constitutional provision, by designing adequate training programmes for prospective aspirants in mofussil areas. This will go a long way in acquainting women with constitutional provisions, the functioning of multi-party democracy and legislative processes and helping them to espouse various societal issues.
Arvind G Nadkarni, via email
II
It is gratifying to note that the Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed in the Rajya Sabha, even though some of the opposition parties were determined to sabotage it by creating pandemonium in the House. The passage of the bill is an assertion by all democratic parties that they will not be cowed down by those who have, till now, obstinately stood in the way of women’s empowerment. Those in opposition may now try to defeat many other crucial bills in the coming days. The Congress, byeffective floor management, should see to it that the survival of the government is not threatened.
Subramanian Venkataraman, Mumbai
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