Miners’ miseries

Miners’ miseries
We have already seen how illegal coal mining in some parts of Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal is already depriving the exchequer. Apart from the illegal coal miners, there are those regular miners who are subjected to serious health hazards (‘Every 24 hours a coal miner dies in India, but who cares’, September 21). The primary reason being that the PSU’s do not utilise the funds earmarked for the safety and health monitoring of the coal miners. Ever since the coal industries were nationalised about four decades ago, the plight of these poor miners has been pathetic. There is hardly any safety audit from the concerned directorate. Almost Rs225 crore accumulates in the safety fund each year with Coal India Ltd, which remains unutilised. The government must conduct periodic safety audits to ensure that these miners don’t get a raw deal.
—Deepak Agharkar, via email

Control yourself
This is with reference to ‘Uddhav calls Raj names’ (September 21). It is most surprising that both the brothers are exhibiting such road side-type of exchange of words. They should not forget that they belong to the lineage of the late Prabodhankar Thackeray, a most learned man. Both should observe restraint in attacking each other. Such gimmicks will not fetch them any honour. On the contrary, they will become a
laughing stock.
—RM Deshpande, Navi Mumbai

Not the time for change
Sachin Tendulkar’s formula to revamp the One Day cricket format does not find any takers in the ICC’s cricket committee (‘Sachin Tendulkar seeks changes in ODI format, writes to ICC CEO’, September 20). Making drastic changes in the laws in ‘pyjama cricket’ is not practically possible. The laws of one day cricket needs to be changed completely if the change is pressed into service. As a matter of fact, the present power plays and D/L method (rain rule) have come into existence after careful study. So changing the ICC rules as per Sachin’s plan is ruled out for the time being. Sachin, somehow wanted to impress the ICC and try to be part of the governing body but the rules of the game are not easy to change. So the suggestion appears to be a damn squib.
—CK Subramaniam, via email

Unprepared for calamities
This is with reference to ‘Disaster management POA a must for city’, (September 21). If natural calamity like an earthquake hits Mumbai, then the damage caused will be of very high proportion. Most of the commercial and residential buildings will hardly be able to withstand such devastation. One can only imagine the havoc created in such an instance, when even a few hours of rainfall brings Mumbai to a screeching halt.
—Ketan R Meher, Mumbai

II
Apropos ‘Two strikes in city, and one victim, the ordinary citizen’ (September 21), it says a lot about the helplessness of a common man. Here, the common citizen travels like sardines in local trains and buses. He also pays taxes diligently, and is harassed during strikes called by political parties and unions. There is also a new trend of NGOs holding fasts in the name of helping this hapless citizen from corruption. Nobody talks of empowering the common citizen. Everybody says ‘I will act as a middleman to help you’. We also need to earmark a national fund to retrofit buildings all over the country. India is prone to earthquakes, and the country has been divided into five zones, depending on the earthquake intensity.  We do not even have a basic policy of putting a cap on the number of floors a building can have in these five zones.  
—Deendayal Lulla, Mumbai

Taking sides
Suburban guardian minister Naeem Khan, should have been more guarded and mature while he was having a discussion with the RTO officials of Tardeo, Wadala and Andheri.  Khan seems to have taken the complaints of the autorickshaw drivers at without verifying the truth. It was unethical on the part of Khan to declare that he knew how the work goes on at the RTOs. Khan, probably, has an eye on the forthcoming municipal elections. Hence, the overt support to the auto drivers. But the brunt will now have to be borne by the common man in terms of tampered meters and fare refusals.
—Harischandra Parshuram, via email

II
It is reprehensible that a person appointed as suburban guardian minister should shamelessly defend auto-rickshaw drivers who have deliberately rigged their meters to cheat innocent citizens utilising their service.
—Phiroze B Javeri, Mumbai

Housing for all
This is with reference to ‘Affordable homes for all, soon a reality’, (September 19). Since people from the lower strata of the society find it difficult to own a house in the city it is good that the government is thinking of providing them with affordable accommodation. But this thinking should be made a reality, and not just a plan on paper. Though the compulsory reservation of 20 to 25% flats for affordable housing in a residential construction of over 21,528 sq ft sounds good in theory, it is not practical. A more practical move would be a satellite town to be established with the construction of affordable homes. 
—NR Ramachandran, Bangalore