Hike is totally unjustified

Hike is totally unjustified
Apropos of “LPG consumers hit for a six, diesel goes for a high five” (September 14), The move by the government is highly condemnable. Firstly, the ceiling of six gas cylinders per year per house is insufficient. Even if it is an economic compulsion for the government to curtail the supply of gas cylinders at subsidised rates, the criterion of per house is absurd, as it utterly ignores the number of members in a family and their income. Furthermore, the hike of Rs5 to Rs7 per litre of diesel will surge inflation by making essential commodities, including transportation, costlier. Similarly, the cut in excise duty on petrol will be used by oil marketing companies to cut their losses. Though the government thought it was the right time to declare the hike, it doesn’t appear so. There is every chance of a nation-wide protest  by politicians cutting across party lines. The possibility of a rollback, either fully or partially, under the excuse of ‘political compulsion,’ cannot be ruled out. It is beyond doubt that this is just an eyewash to divert the public attention from scams and corruption.
—KK Ved, via e-mail

II
By capping the num ber of subsidised cooking gas cylinders at six a year, the government, as usual and as frequently as possible, has hit the common man below the belt. To shell out around Rs775 for a cylinder is well beyond the financial capacity of millions of families. The move might be good economics, but it’s going to be a very dark nightmare for the common man, who as it is has been driven to the wall by the high cost of living, with prices of all essentials rising at jet speed. Along with the decision to raise diesel price, which will further increase the prices of all essential commodities, the six subsidised LPG cylinders per year will have a very bad impact on the common man. It is shockingly surprising that the government has not consulted its allies on such an important and sensitive matter. The monthly kitchen budget of households will crumble down, with hardly anything left for other expenses. How long will the common man be punished for having voted? Till now, farmers were compelled to commit suicide for being debt-ridden. At this rate, even others will be forced to follow suit.  There is large-scale malnutrition and undernourishment because the purchasing power is fast plummeting. The subsidy cap should be raised to at least ten, if not continuing with the present system of giving subsidy on the cylinders. Alternatively, permit us to steal and rob!
—Prem K Menon, Mumbai

III
The steep hike of Rs5 per litre in the price of diesel has hit the common man hard. The cap of six cylinders per family with subsidised rates and the remaining at market prices (around Rs770/cylinder) is also an unwise move. It is prudent to fix the number of subsidised gas cylinders per family based on the number of members. The decisions will have a severe impact on family budgets. The hike in diesel prices will have a cascading effect, which will further increase inflation. It is time the government reconsidered the restriction of LPG refills, keeping in mind the other difficulties looming over the aam aadmi.
—HPMurali, Mumbai

Restrain the freedom
Any attempt to ridicule the faith of a section of humanity under the pretext of freedom of expression or artistic liberty ought to be condemned and restrained, or even curtailed, by all responsible administrations. The outburst of anger spreading fast against the film Innocence of Muslims is to be seen in this context. In such situations, the violence, once sparked, goes out of control too soon and mob fury takes over. The only remedy lies in using an iron fist against anyone attempting to violate the sensibility of other sects under any guise: Be it films like the above, nude depiction of others’ gods/goddesses or using religious symbols on footwear or undergarments. There cannot be a selective approach. There should be no artistic liberty to hurt others’ sentiments and such justifications are deplorable.
—CNN Nair, Mumbai
 
UPA anti-aam aadmi
If the present government is for the aam aadmi, it would not have raised the diesel prices. The government could afford to retain the subsidy, as the petroleum companies’ balance sheets indicated huge profits (as said by Sitaram Yechury on a TV channel). This government is unable to control the prices and arrest corruption. It should recover the scam money and credit it to the government treasury. All UPA allies should be bold enough to withdraw their support to the Congress if they are really concerned about the common man.
—TL Padmanabhan, Mumbai

Child deaths
A World Bank’s report points out that five countries, including India, account for nearly 50% of all deaths of children below the age of five globally due to the want of medicare. This is a chilling indictment of successive Indian governments that have woefully neglected the primary healthcare in preference to grandiose projects like space exploration. The fact that India is worse than even some sub-Saharan countries of Africa and Pakistan in this respect makes us hang our heads in shame. This, in the backdrop of World bank’s report highlighting the fact that the child mortality has come down by nearly 41% all over the world in the last two decades, speaks volumes on the skewed priorities of our government.
—V.Rajalakhsmi, Mumbai

Blame game
This refers to the reported statement of V Narayanaswamy, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Ofice (PMO), that the NDA government allotted 39 coal blocks illegally when it was in power. It has become a sickening habit with the members of the ruling party to retaliate every charge of corruption with counter-allegation that the NDA government did the same. They forget that it is precisely for this kind of omissions and commissions that the BJP and its allies were thrown out by the public in 2004. If the NDA had allotted 39 coal blocks illegally when it was in power, what was the Congress doing as the major opposition party? Does Narayanaswamy admit that the Congress failed as the opposition party then as it has failed as the ruling party now? It is high time the PM advises his cabinet colleagues not to use such weak alibis and instead address the issues raised.
—VVS Mani, Bangalore